Toronto's last contest against the Sacramento Kings on April 1 left a lot to be desired. They got absolutely ran through and obliterated, thanks in large part to former Raptors big man Precious Achiuwa, who ate on the offensive glass and equally had his way on the scoring front.
While the Raptors exited the game with their morale taking a hit and exposing several lingering weaknesses, a glimmer of optimism still emerged amid the defeat. That ray of hope in question is rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, who achieved a new career-high in points against Sacramento.
Collin Murray-Boyles shows grit in the face of tough Raptors loss
CMB saw 18 minutes of action, where he posted 20 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting from the field, went 6-for-8 from the free throw line, along with four rebounds and two assists. He was Toronto's second-leading scorer in the game, tying with RJ Barrett, while Sandro Mamukelashvili was strong off the bench with 17 points. Collin Murray-Boyles surpasses his previous career-high in points, when he logged 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including 3-for-5 from deep, in an early season affair against the San Antonio Spurs.
On a night when the Raptors felt a step behind in energy, defense, and hustle, Murray-Boyles emerged as a bright spot, consistently demonstrating commendable effort throughout the game. He was aggressive getting inside, looking to provide Toronto with a similar sense of frontcourt impact that the Kings were comfortably receiving from Precious Achiuwa.
Of course, the rebounding disparity was crystal clear, as that was a key stressing point in the post-game pressers, and CMB struggled to rack up boards to the same degree as Achiuwa. But that was just a problem on the Raptors' side in general, so it would be unfair to single out Murray-Boyles for failing to step up in that category.
Elsewhere, Scottie Barnes has been impressing Raptors Nation with his assist streak. But on the flip side, in games when key scorers like Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley are out, I was hoping to see No. 4 step up offensively beyond just his solid playmaking. I think it says quite a bit that CMB showcased his potential to play with aggression, get to the line, and step up on the scoring front. Plus, we've been robbed of ample Murray-Boyles run this season given his nagging thumb issue, so it's great to see him making up for lost time and opportunities.
Without meaning to sound too harsh on Scottie Barnes though, I was also pleasantly surprised by the connection between Barnes and CMB. Three of Barnes' 10 assists against Sacramento were dimes to Murray-Boyles, tying RJ Barrett as the player Barnes found most often in the game. That in itself creates an intriguing chemistry that could flourish in the Raptors' outlook moving forward.
I've said it before and I'll say it again — Collin Murray-Boyles is poised to be a key building block for the Raptors' future. I believe he’s carved out a spot on the short list of untouchable Raptors players. While a gloomy cloud hangs over Toronto's playoff hopes, there's a silver lining: the continued development and rise of CMB gives Raptors fans something exciting to look forward to.