Toronto Raptors: Where the Raptors stand in the 2020-21 NBA Awards race

Most Improved Player

The most likely award for any of the Raptors players to win is MIP and once again, the closest member of the team to receive that recognition is Boucher. There is a strong case to be made here. Last year, prior to the NBA bubble, Boucher was relegated to playing just garbage time on the court.

An injury to Serge Ibaka allowed him to earn more minutes and gain the trust of his coach. Now playing more minutes than Aron Baynes this season, Boucher has become an integral part of Nick Nurse’s rotation. He may not be the Raptors’ best player but he has the best chances of winning a playing award.

Pascal Siakam won the award in 2019 and has hopefully been a helpful guide for Boucher in how to continue to elevate his game.

The Saint Lucian-Canadian is no stranger to winning awards. Two years ago he filled his trunk with hardware, winning the G-League’s Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards. He was the first and so far the only player to achieve that accomplishment.

The front runners for this award are likely Julius Randle who is in the midst of the best season of his career for the New York Knicks and Jerami Grant who has unlocked a new gear this year with the Detroit Pistons.

Both of these ballers have become the heartbeat of their respective teams. Although Boucher has made giant strides in his development, it will be incredibly difficult to catch and usurp these two players to win the award.