Toronto Raptors: End Of Year Report Cards

Chris Boucher

When the season began Chris Boucher was just a Canadian kid trying to crack the roster. Now, Boucher is the reigning NBA G-League Defensive Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and could be Toronto’s next breakout star. The 26-year old’s stock continues to trend in the right direction.

At first glance Boucher’s contribution to the Raptors is minimal. However, his absolute domination of the NBA’s development league is a sight to behold.

In his debut, G-League campaign Boucher started in every regular season game he played. He averaged a double-double per game with 26 points and 11 rebounds. His dominance with Raptors 905 helped secure a full-time gig with the big club towards the end of the season.

Boucher saw scarce minutes with the Raptors. However, being able to learn the NBA lifestyle will be extremely valuable in his ongoing professional development.

In Toronto’s regular-season finale he scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. That was just a taste of what is to come.

The Raptors have gotten more “bang-for-their-buck” from their second lowest paid player. Although he a very limited opportunity in the NBA, Boucher’s “production relative to contract score” is very high.

Toronto’s scouting department hit the nail on the head with this signing. Boucher has not only exceeded all expectations but, he has also developed into a legitimate diamond in the rough. The Raptors may have another steal to go along with Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.

Despite his success in the G-League, Boucher’s grade scores will drop due to his limited NBA production. After all, we are assessing players on their time with the Toronto Raptors. However, he still scored fairly well.

Satisfying expectations: 10/10

Production relative to contract: 7/10(due to lack of actual NBA production) 

Overall output: 6/10

Total score: 23/30 

Letter grade: B