Collin Murray-Boyles was phenomenal in his first playoff run. He averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game as the Raptors’ third-leading scorer behind RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes.
He proved himself as an absolute draft win and building block next to Barnes and earned himself a bigger role for his second season. Jakob Poeltl is still on the roster and expected to start, but Murray-Boyles will play a key role for the Raptors off the bench.
Summer league head coach Ivo Simovic told Raptors reporter Michael Grange earlier this month, “We need him to play 30-plus minutes.”
There’s little reason to doubt whether Murray-Boyles is ready for a bigger role after what he did in the playoffs, but he will have to navigate two challenges: sustaining that type of play for a full regular season plus a playoff run and being high up on every team’s scouting report.
Between Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, as well as some other known rotational players, opposing teams weren’t necessarily focused on a rookie who missed several games with a thumb injury last season. After what he did in the playoffs, opposing teams will be much more aware of Murray-Boyles and what he can do for the Raptors. They will try to take away what he’s most comfortable with offensively next season, and he will have to figure out how to work around that.
The Raptors are relying on Murray-Boyles to fill a big role
The Raptors lack quality center depth. There’s still hope that Poeltl can put together a bounce-back season, but there’s not much behind him except for Murray-Boyles. He may be undersized, but he’s athletic, versatile, and a disruptive defender—and he has to be.
Assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade still goes through, the Raptors have given themselves a small window to compete for a title with the championship veteran leading the charge offensively. They are banking heavily on Murray-Boyles’s and other young players’ ability to play key roles for a competitive team immediately. Murray-Boyles is projected to go into the season as the Raptors’ sixth man—a big role for a second-year player—but Poeltl’s health is anything but guaranteed. So, Murray-Boyles may actually find himself starting a bunch of games as well.
If he’s not ready for the bigger role while also having to deal with increased attention from opponents, the Raptors could be in trouble. Development isn’t always linear after all.
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