Despite the Raptors’ season ending in the first round, the year keeps getting more encouraging. Standout rookie Collin Murray-Boyles was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team.
Murray-Boyles put together a modest stat line of 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 57.9% shooting. However, those numbers do not come close to capturing the impact he had on this Raptors team.
He turned into a key contributor for the fifth-seeded team in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, Raptors fans were clamoring for more minutes for the 20-year-old because of his ability to get easy baskets with his athleticism and make an impact defensively. This honor was well deserved.
Collin Murray-Boyles has a bright future
What separates Murray-Boyles from most rookies is his impact on winning. He was one of only three rookies to be named to an All-Rookie Team and make the playoffs.
His minutes in the playoffs are telling about how head coach Darko Rajakovic viewed his contributions. During the regular season, he averaged 21.9 minutes, but in the playoffs that number jumped to 27.3.
He was one of the best defensive rookies in basketball this season and showed flashes of a potentially elite defensive ceiling. The Raptors nailed their 2025 ninth overall draft pick, and this honor is further proof of that.
How can Collin Murray-Boyles build off this success?
The next stage for Murray-Boyles will be refining his offensive game. His top-tier athleticism will always allow him to score easy buckets, especially in transition, but if he is able to become a more consistent shooter, passer and playmaker, he has all the tools to make a potential All-Star leap.
One of his common predraft comparisons was Golden State Warriors future Hall of Famer Draymond Green. Like Murray-Boyles, Green entered the NBA as mostly a defensive player without a clear strength on offense. He was able to develop his playmaking instincts and found himself in the right offensive system to have those strengths maximized.
Murray-Boyles taking a similar jump would be huge for this Raptors franchise as it looks for a second star around Scottie Barnes. Murray-Boyles has all the tools. Now, let’s see how he develops them.
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