Last week, 2025 four-star Winters Grady announced his commitment to Michigan. The 6’5 guard is one of the country’s premier shooters. Grady marks the Wolverines’ first commitment of the recruiting cycle. After missing the tournament the last two seasons, new coach Dusty May will need to land high-end talent in these coming classes.
All in, go blue. pic.twitter.com/B9Rvmq9pQd
— Winters Grady (@WintersGrady_) October 18, 2024
Playing for Jalen Green Elite on the Adidas circuit this season, Grady averaged 19.5 points. 5.3 boards and 1.3 assists on an elite 60.7% true shooting, per Synergy. Across those 18 games, Grady acted as his team’s primary offensive option while maintaining excellent spacing and solid defense. He projects as an off-ball shooter at the next levels, but Grady showcased his primary chops.
Shooting will be Grady’s primary draw for the college and pro levels. Last AAU season, Grady canned 37% (47/127) of his triples. He’s at his best shooting threes off of the catch, shooting 38.6% on those catch-and-shoot attempts. Grady spots up from well beyond the line, comfortable twisting and contorting to run around screens and fire off movement.
Grady flashed the ability to hit threes off of the dribble, shooting 34.9% on his 43 off-dribble threes. He’s even deadlier as a mid-range pull-up shooter, though, converting a ridiculous 51.9% of his 52 shots there. With a controlled handle and a quick, high release, Grady creates space for his jumpers with ease. His size and confidence alone are valuable shooting traits projecting forward.
winters grady (’25) shoots the ball like a pro with high-level versatility. the range, footwork setting up his pull-ups and confidence as a shooter all pop big time on tape
he seems well equipped to scale up and down with 2 guard size pic.twitter.com/lJsoQkgm4Y
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) April 14, 2024
His mid-range shooting prowess projects him well to extend that range to three. If Grady can increase his pull-up three-point volume, it’s easy to imagine him developing into an elite sniper. His elite free-throw shooting (87%, 60/69) only adds another positive indicator for future shooting growth.
When Grady can’t fall back on his jumper, he can struggle to create advantages on the ball. He shot a paltry 15.1% of his shots at the hoop last AAU season, evidence of his downhill creation struggles. He lacks the burst, explosion and handling creativity to beat defenders and carve space to the rim, limiting his on-ball utility.
But when Grady does find his way to the hoop, he’s had success finishing. This past AAU season, he shot an absurd 76.9% at the rim (30/39). His touch lends to easy finishes over and through defenders. Grady weaponizes his strength and craft to win in the post, on cuts and driving off of closeouts and handoffs.
winters grady doesn’t get to the rim often but he’s incredibly efficient when he does — 76.9% (30/39) this past aau season
excellent touch, strength and craft pic.twitter.com/BTUJ4F2Y4R
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) October 24, 2024
He’s not a prolific playmaker, posting low assist numbers and a poor 0.5 assist-to-turnover ratio this season. Grady flashes some vision, especially as an off-ball passer, but lacks the advantage creation to consistently bend defenses. Learning to harness his off-ball shooting gravity into more playmaking success will be critical for his future college and possibly pro success.
Grady’s athletic issues pop up on the defensive end, as he’s not quick enough to consistently stop guards on the ball. Without great length, lateral burst or size, he’s a bit limited to guarding other shooting guards of his type.
His hands are Grady’s defensive trump card. When his strong frame denies initial drives, Grady loves swiping down to swipe loose handles. He’s active in passing lanes, always looking to turn the ball over. Those hands are a strength and a weakness, though, as his handsiness on the ball leads to fouls and overextensions.
Grady will likely struggle on defense at the college level early as most guards do. His shooting should get him on the floor early, though. Across their last two seasons, the Wolverines finished 168th and 169th in the country in three-point volume. Adding players like Grady indicates a clear desire to increase that number.
His strongest selling point is Grady’s ability to scale up and down with ease. As we know, Grady has no problem spotting up off of the ball, running off of screens and cutting. But Grady has experience running his team’s offense and facing primary defensive attention. That experience will serve him well at the college level, even if he doesn’t see the same off-ball usage.
Michigan saw two off-ball shooters (Kobe Bufkin, Jett Howard) land in the first round of the NBA draft in 2023. It’s possible Grady gets to that point with continued athletic development. Regardless of his pro prospects, Grady should be a productive offensive player for the Wolverines for however long he dons the gold and blue.
