Here’s how Gradey Dick, Markquis Nowell & Jalen Wilson fared in NBA Summer League debuts

Gradey Dick’s shot was off target most of the night, but the former University of Kansas standout still managed to score in double figures during his professional basketball debut with the Toronto Raptors in NBA 2K24 Summer League action Friday in Las Vegas.

Dick, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound, 19-year-old shooting guard from Wichita who was taken No. 13 by the Raptors in the 2023 NBA Draft after his one-and-done season at KU, scored 10 points on a chilly 3-of-12 shooting in an 83-74 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

He was 2 for 9 from three and 2 of 2 from the line. Dick, who started, grabbed four rebounds with three steals and three turnovers in 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell, who recently signed a two-way contract with the Raptors after going undrafted, hit 6 of 12 shots (4 of 6 from three) good for 17 points in his pro debut.

Nowell, 23, had four rebounds, five assists, three steals and three turnovers while starting and playing 29 minutes.

“It was a quiet first stint for Dick, who didn’t have many opportunities to score,” wrote Kyle Irving of Sporting News. Dick’s first bucket came on a three from the corner after four previous misses to start the contest.

“Dick won’t be satisfied with his offensive output in his Summer League debut, but I was still encouraged by what I saw. There’s no need to worry over him shooting 2-for-9 from three — his shots will fall, I promise. … Dick was extremely active on the defensive end,” Irving added. “His rotations were crisp, he worked hard whenever he was on the ball and showed active hands to come up with three steals. Effort and defensive IQ were never a concern, he just has to bulk up to be the best version of himself on that end of the floor.”

Irving continued his assessment, adding: “This was an example of how Dick isn’t going to create much offense on his own yet. He’ll help the Raptors space the floor and he’ll score when a play is drawn up to get him an open look, but he’s not going to be a No. 1 option or isolation scorer.”

Noted Kai Gammage of sportsnet.ca: “Despite an inefficient game, Dick was aggressive, jumping passing lanes on defense to notch three steals, and attacking closeouts on offense to get better looks from the midrange.”

Commenting on Nowell, Aaron Rose of SI.com wrote: “Dick may have been the headliner Friday night, but undrafted rookie Markquis Nowell stole that show. The 5-foot-7 Nowell took his first step of many to silence his NBA critics with a game-high 17-point and five-assist showing against the Bulls. His passing chops are every bit as impressive as they’d been in college. He’s simply magical with the ball, working the pick-and-roll with Moses Brown for easy buckets at the rim or whizzing skip passes from deep in the paint to find shooters in the corners. He found Brown with a pair of no-look passes inside that were Scottie Barnes-esque in their beauty.”

Rose continued: “Nowell’s lack of size did show at times, as expected. He made an acrobatic finish through contact for an and-1 layup in transition but was also smothered at the rim by Chicago’s bigger defenders. His three-point shot, especially from very deep, coupled with his tough-nosed style of play and pesky hands on defense showed why he’ll compete for backup point guard minutes for Toronto in training camp.”

Gammage wrote: “Markquis Nowell, the undrafted 5-7 Kansas State product, was guarded by Bulls’ sophomore Dalen Terry early on, who possesses a full-foot height difference over his counterpart. That matchup didn’t deter the dynamic Nowell, who scored 17 points, dished out five assists and had three steals. He also hit a couple of impressive long-range three-pointers, harkening shades of former Raptors guard Fred VanVleet.”

Former KU forward David McCormack did not enter the game for Toronto. He played in Turkey last season.

Jalen Wilson scores 17 points for Nets

Former KU forward Jalen Wilson scored 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting (1-of-5 from three and 4-of-7 from the line) in his professional debut for the Brooklyn Nets on Friday in Vegas.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Wilson grabbed five rebounds, blocked two shots and contributed an assist and steal in 25 minutes in the Nets’ 101-97 loss to Cleveland.

Wilson, a second-round pick (No. 51 overall) of the Nets who started the game, tied for team-high scoring honors with guard Armoni Brooks, who also had 17 points. Wilson scored 13 points in the third quarter.