Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are extremely talented on both ends of the floor, the head coach had Gradey Dick close out the crunch-time, one-point win. He played well all night, and Lue stuck with him, which was the right decision. Dick finished with 13 points and three rebounds off the bench, shooting 5-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.
Although this was an excellent performance from the same guy the Toronto Raptors gave up on over the summer, it made Dick’s case loud and clear to remain in Lue’s active rotation even when guys like Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal return to action.
Dick is too good a player to let sit in the reserve unit. He has to be in the equation if the Clippers hope to put in their best effort every night.
Gradey Dick’s outing versus OKC tells the Clippers he is a must-play when they get healthy
When Brandon Ingram and Bradley Beal return, someone on the LA Clippers’ bench will lose playing time. There are only 48 minutes in a game, and several players shouldn't lose their spot in the rotation.
Regardless, Dick cannot be one of those guys. He has to stay put, and his night against the Oklahoma City Thunder justified why.
No matter which side of the ball we’re talking about, Dick was doing it all. One second you would see him diving for a loose ball, and the next he would drain a three-pointer to keep the Clippers within reach of a win. And when he wasn’t doing either, the former lottery pick made the right cuts at the right times for easy baskets around the rim.
Dick has a great feel for the game, and it’s to the point where it's hard not to notice.
In the grand scheme of things, he has been doing it all season. Dick is now up to 7.8 points and 3.0 rebounds on the year, shooting 53.3% from the field and 47.6% (!!!) from beyond the arc. These numbers say it all about his value to the Clippers, and how much of a luxury it is to have him around.
That said, Lue has a lot to figure out when the Clippers get healthy, but one thing is for certain: Dick needs to remain involved. He proved it again when LA couldn’t leave home court with a loss.
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