I know we still have the playoffs to look forward to, so the season isn't entirely over per se. However, the regular season sample is officially complete. I think it's only appropriate to do what I've done in previous seasons: to give out some end-of-season report cards for the major players of this 2025-26 Raptors campaign.
Since this was Collin Murray-Boyles' first NBA season, who better to start with than him?
Man, I look back and feel quite awkward when I reflect on my first impressions and face-value interpretations of what Collin Murray-Boyles was as a player during the pre-draft process and even after the Raptors took him ninth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. I was not exactly super ecstatic about Toronto adding another archetype that I already believed they had a plethora of.
Questions loomed, seeing as CMB was more than likely tasked with being an undersized big at the next level, and concerns around his ability to be a positive offensive presence — especially considering his clear three-point shooting weakness — raised several red flags for me. However, it is always a massive win when someone can come right out of the gates and completely shatter expectations, proving the doubters wrong, myself definitely included. It didn't even take long before I could see that the hype around CMB was absolutely real.
Collin Murray-Boyles finished his rookie campaign with the following metrics: 57 games played, including 22 starts, averaging 8.5 points on 57.9 percent field goal shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and close to a steal and a block per game (0.9 each), in an average of 21.9 minutes per game.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle of CMB’s first season in the pros was the extensive missed time on the sidelines due to a nagging thumb injury. In the sample where Murray-Boyles was inactive, the Raptors greatly missed his presence on the court or felt the impact of not having him there. I mean, just ask Sandro Mamukelashvili, who had to take on an altered role because of CMB's void.
It's been said before here on Raptors Rapture, but when you look at the numbers Murray-Boyles put up, it doesn't quite scream "massive game-changer" strictly speaking. Nonetheless, you have to acknowledge Murray-Boyles' consistent effort and mentality to take on the tall task of facing veteran and perhaps intimidating competition — and still be able to perform accordingly, all things considered, despite being just a 20-year-old.
Collin Murray-Boyles quickly emerged a key threat of the Raptors' 2025-26 efforts
Even if CMB couldn't stuff the stat sheet, it was the defensive effort and willingness to take on heavy assignments that impressed. But even statistically, we got a glimpse of the potential Murray-Boyles possesses to put everything together and produce a string of impressive scoring performances. In a five-game sample this month (between April 1 to 9), CMB delivered three standout performances: a career-high 20 points against the Kings, followed by 19 points against the Grizzlies, and a flawless shooting night with 17 points and eight rebounds against the Heat.
Also quietly emerging during that stretch was a budding on-court synergy that looked quite promising: the Scottie Barnes-CMB connection. Now, with the playoffs awaiting, Murray-Boyles has already done enough in his rookie campaign to be duly considered a significant factor in Toronto's hopeful postseason efforts. Murray-Boyles spoke to the media in a recent post-playoff practice scrum, where he shared his thoughts on how his rookie season turned out — and how it compared to his expectations going in.
CMB said: "It's hard to really say what you expect come your first year in the league because it's just so unpredictable. Obviously you want to do as best as you can. I mean, I feel like I've put in a lot of effort to be the best that I could be, especially in my first year. But I didn't expect a lot, you know? Obviously I expected us to be here right now. I expected more for the team than myself."
While doing his best to praise the Raptors' organization during this answer, CMB was asked to pinpoint a single aspect that stood out during his first year, to which he replied: "I got a lot of trust instilled in me, being able to guard such great players. I didn't expect to be doing all this switch on, but I like it though. Um, so that was that was something that I had to adjust to quickly. So, that was that was something that I had to adjust to quickly."
The great thing about CMB's rookie campaign is that it sets a higher benchmark for what’s to come (while keeping within sound reason). We’ve seen how effectively he can operate as a bully and hustler on the court, all while offering glimpses of his further potential. He looks poised to be a recurring All-Defense level player in the years ahead, and if he can continue to develop his offensive game and hit new strides, we might just be looking at another golden token for the Raptors (a Scottie Barnes-lite, if you will).
Moving forward, I think it would be beneficial for CMB to improve his three-point shooting volume and show more willingness to take those shots. Even in his current form, his ability to work down low and embrace the gritty side of the game are promising. However, he needs to take care of himself when playing this style every night, as health concerns have already emerged in his first year. Aside from those issues, I think it’s only fair to give Murray-Boyles this final grade.
Grade: A
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