Collin Murray-Boyles had a phenomenal rookie season with the Toronto Raptors. He became an immediate contributor with his defensive talent, physicality, and rebounding. He was not much of a big-time scorer, though. Murray-Boyles averaged 8.5 points per game and cracked the 20-point mark just twice—once in a 123-115 loss to the Sacramento Kings and once in Game 3 of the Raptors’ first-round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That could become a more frequent occurrence this season. For one, Murray-Boyles has a whole offseason to work on his offense and become a more confident 3-point shooter. Secondly, adding Kawhi Leonard in a big trade with the LA Clippers will open up the floor and make scoring easier for everyone, including Murray-Boyles—which is why Tim Legler picked the 21-year-old as one of his breakout candidates for the season on the All-NBA podcast.
“He already can defend,” Legler said. “The guy’s built like a tank. Physically, he can take on any challenge. I think now you’re going to see him improve offensively because of the opportunities that are gonna be created by Kawhi Leonard’s presence, the way there’s a gravitational shift to his side of the floor, how that can lend itself to some of the things he can do as a slasher, driver, offensive rebounder, stuff that he can get in transition.”
He added, “There’s gonna be nights where he’s gonna put up really impressive stat lines. Last year was more about, you know, he’d get some double-doubles, but he was gonna be in that 10-, 12-, 14-point range. I think he’s gonna have more nights this year north of 20 points.”
Even with the addition of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors really need to improve offensively. If Murray-Boyles can take the kind of leap that makes him a semi-regular 20-point scorer, it would go a long way for the Raptors.
A big offensive season from Murray-Boyles would go a long way for the Raptors
The Raptors trade for Leonard was, first and foremost, a bet on Scottie Barnes. They would not have sent out several draft picks for an aging superstar with a lengthy injury history if they didn’t think Barnes was ready to be a top-two player on a title contender.
It was also a bet on the Raptors’ young bench unit. Leonard or not, the Raptors cannot contend unless Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter are ready to make contender-worthy contributions off the bench in their second and third seasons. While Shead’s playmaking and Walter’s 3-point shooting as well as both players’ defense will be invaluable, Murray-Boyles will be the leader of the bench mob.
Center is the Raptors’ weakest starting spot. Murray-Boyles will have to make up for a lot of that and will often have to close games. Preseason reiterated, for example, that Jakob Poeltl is not a great matchup against the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns. If Murray-Boyles cannot pick up the slack, it will hurt the Raptors’ chances to go on a deep playoff run.
Leonard will make the game easier for everyone
Murray-Boyles isn’t the only Raptors player who should benefit from Leonard’s presence. Scottie Barnes, especially, should have an easier time offensively with Leonard drawing as much defensive attention as he does. Teams will have to stick their best defender on Leonard, which will leave Barnes and RJ Barrett with the easier matchups. Moreover, Immanuel Quickley should get plenty of off-ball opportunities and open catch-and-shoot 3-point looks.
Leonard makes the game easier for everyone on his team, and not just because of the defensive attention he draws. He also makes quick, good decisions to set up his teammates.
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