To say I was puzzled to hear Collin Murray-Boyles' name called ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors would be an understatement. I don't know the guy personally, I'd assume he's a pleasant fellow, but as a prospect — I wasn't exactly blown away by his fit on an already clunky lineup with weak spacing (something I made vividly clear in a previous piece).
And wouldn't you know it, just as Toronto could have come out of the 2025 NBA Draft with their ideal big man in Khaman Maluach, they chose to pass on him as he surprisingly fell to their lap, adding yet another haunting Raptors archetype to their historic stockpile — much like the "Vision 6'9" mold.
Raptors draft Collin Murray-Boyles with the ninth overall pick
Look, I get that CMB was considered one of the top defensive prospects in the 2025 talent pool, and we all know how much the Raptors franchise has prioritized defense over offense.
And I do stand by the "defense wins championships" mantra, but how exactly do you navigate around the painfully obvious lack of three-point shooting from guys like Jonathan Mogbo, Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes, and now, Collin Murray-Boyles?
I have no doubt in my mind that when CMB and Barnes will share the court together, that rock-solid defensive identity is going to hound their opposition. On the flip side, do you simply rely on Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley to be perimeter threats in the offense?
And what happens to RJ Barrett going forward? It would be utterly foolish to stand pat with this absurd abundance of wings, especially considering it was already a concern pre-draft — and even more so now with the Collin Murray-Boyles addition.
Some on social media were quick to point out CMB's presumed unhappy reaction upon hearing his name called by the Raptors, possibly stemming from the idea that he's joining a franchise already filled with numerous jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none-type players. However, those in Raptors Nation could just be grasping at straws without knowing the full context.
But in that sense, how does Collin Murray-Boyles stand out in this Raptors core? How does he save himself from becoming just another name in Toronto's long-list of similar archetypes? Well, I suppose this is where I need to give CMB a chance to show what he's capable of.
Simply put, I have this question for the Raptors organization: how many forwards will it take to satisfy this never-ending obsession?