I know I had some choice words for Collin Murray-Boyles in the past, and while I won't completely change my perception of him, I will humbly admit that his performances at the recent Summer League festivities helped me see CMB in a bit of a different light.
In four Summer League games, Murray-Boyles averaged the following stats: 10.5 points on 57% field goal shooting, a shaky 22% from three, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 2.5 turnovers, in an average of 23.6 minutes of playing time per appearance. Although his lack of an offensive bag (at least on the consistent sharpshooting end) gave me reason to think he'd be a detriment to this Raptors core, I truly witnessed how much CMB's contributions on the defensive end can severely alter a game in his team's favor.
Collin Murray-Boyles looked very much the part of a stellar defender
We all know how much this team's identity has long prided itself on employing a defense-first mentality, and in that regard, it’s no surprise why Murray-Boyles' skillset has the Raptors' front office enamored with what he can provide on that end. And for that reason, as well as a decent showing at Summer League, Raptors fans would have good reason to think that CMB can rightfully cement himself as a consistent member of the rotation right off the bat.
However, defense is only one element of the game of basketball, and we've seen some very stout defenders in years past who, while that element of their game could be their greatest gift to a team, eventually had their offensive limitations hinder them from maintaining a key role. I think of guys like Matisse Thybulle, Stanley Johnson, and Jarred Vanderbilt ... just off the top of my head.
NBA writer and analyst Sam Vecenie discussed this topic with co-host Bryce Simon on a recent Game Theory Podcast episode titled "NBA Summer League Rookies Breakdown! Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and more!"
Here are Vecenie's takeaways:
"... In the first game, there were a lot of fouling issues; it was a struggle. He [Murray-Boyles] was really handsy, and you know, I was worried he was going to foul out. Overall, the impression was he looked great on defense and in the ways that we expected him to look great at Summer League after that first initial game where he was clearly getting his feet up under him."Sam Vecenie, July 22, 2025
Simon would also chime in on CMB's performance, where he made these remarks:
"... I thought he looked good defensively. We knew he [Murray-Boyles] was going to do that. Shot a couple threes, pretty mixed bag there. Free throw percentage wasn't great. I think the offense is going to be a little bit of a slog for a little while for CMB, but he's going to attack the offensive boards. He did that in these games and he's going to give you whatever you ask for on the defensive end. I think it is going to take a little while on the offensive end. "Bryce Simon
It's clear NBA circles have taken note of CMB's defensive brilliance, but now the Raptors must decide how to allocate his minutes. Will his exceptional defense allow Toronto to wait for his offense to develop into a serviceable level? Or will they tread carefully with Murray-Boyles' development, giving way to those ahead of him in the rotation? It's truly a tough decision on the hands of the Raptors' office, but we’ll find out soon enough in October.