Despite some injury trouble, Collin Murray-Boyles put together a strong rookie season, averaging 8.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in the regular season. By the playoffs, he emerged as the Raptors’ third-most productive player behind Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. The sky seems to be the limit for the 21-year-old, particularly defensively.
If he’s healthy in his second season, Murray-Boyles could emerge as one of the best defenders in the NBA. He did not make Sam Vecenie’s and Bryce Simon’s list of top 25 defenders on the Game Theory Podcast yet, but he is certainly a name to watch.
“If you made me pick one name that I think is likely to skyrocket on this list the way Scottie Barnes did this year, I think the answer is probably Edey. I think the second answer is probably Collin Murray-Boyles,” Vecenie said. “I think Murray-Boyles is an absolute savage on defense and is flying all over the place and is crazy impactful.”
The Raptors need a big second season from Murray-Boyles
If the trade for Kawhi Leonard is completed soon, the expectations for the Raptors will skyrocket compared to last season. Last season, the Raptors’ 46 wins were viewed as an overachievement. Not winning that much and not finishing as high in the standings would be a massive disappointment with Leonard in the mix.
So, Murray-Boyles’s second season will be very different than his rookie year. Not only will there be higher expectations for the team, but there will also be more pressure on Murray-Boyles individually.
Murray-Boyles will have to be the Raptors’ sixth player. Assuming that Leonard joins the team, the starting five should be Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl if everyone is healthy. That makes Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter the top players off the bench, and the former has the most potential out of that group.
But Murray-Boyles will have to do much more than lead the bench mob. Unless Poeltl has a serious bounce-back season health-wise, Murray-Boyles will also have to start games in his place and play heavy minutes.
The Raptors have a lot riding on Murray-Boyles’s ability to be even better in his second season and be a key player for a team that will have to live up to the expectations that trading for a veteran superstar, who led the Raptors to their first championship in 2019, creates. So far, he hasn’t given any indication that he is not up to the challenge.
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