The Toronto Raptors close out their season-tying high five-game homestand with a record of 4-1, ending things on a high note with back-to-back wins over the Atlanta Hawks. Their 118-100 victory on January 5 was their most recent outing, and in that affair, rookie Collin Murray-Boyles boasts every right to get his due praise given the standout efforts he provided Toronto across the board.
Collin Murray-Boyles excels in Raptors' victory against the Atlanta Hawks
As Jakob Poeltl remains out due to injury — though Coach Darko clarified pre-game that the 30-year-old has been cleared for contact and is working his way back soon — CMB stepped into the starting center role, playing just over 31 minutes. In this key role, CMB put up the following stats: 17 points, just shy of his 19-point career high, on 8-for-10 shooting, along with seven rebounds, seven assists (a new career high), three steals, two blocks, and a team-high plus/minus of +24. CMB was also able to put up such a stat line without committing any turnovers.
While still a rookie very much in his infancy of understanding the NBA game, it’s clear that with time and experience, CMB works to improve in all areas and start to read the flow of the game better. This was echoed in his post-game press conference, where a reporter noted: “Darko [Rajakovic] was telling us before the game that once you learn the league and the league learns you, your game will just blossom. Are you starting to feel that the league understands you now the way you play and at all?”
Murray-Boyles would humbly reply (YouTube link here):
"It gets to a fault, sometimes, of me just using my body and not really giving up any ground most of the time. And that's just how it is. And I just have to adjust to and then adapt. But no, it's not, I'm not thinking of it as like, “Oh, it's going to get easier.” It's definitely not going to get easier (smiles)."Collin Murray-Boyles, January 5, 2026
The 20-year-old rookie later emphasized during the media scrum how the NBA game differs from college and how important it is to adjust and adapt as you go, saying:
"It's just a different league, you know, it's just a different level of basketball speed, theCollin Murray-Boyles contd.
physicality, it's just uncomparable when it comes to college, for real. … It's a lot to take in, especially, you know, just as a first year player, you have to learn a whole new system. You have to learn a whole new refs and all that. So, just figuring all out, learning the dos and don'ts of the league, going around the league, especially with the players and stuff like that is very important."
And it's to CMB's point here about why many are praising him for his balanced and mature efforts on the night — being able to assert himself as a physical presence and hold up against NBA competition. This is something the rookie has already alluded to before, mentioning Steven Adams' intimidating frame when they faced Houston early in the season.
Murray-Boyles clearly prefers to keep his expectations and mindset modest, not getting too boastful about the progress in his rookie season. But I think I share the same perspective that this post-game media scrum was trying to highlight — CMB’s growing appeal across the league as a young player who’s quickly understanding an important role and making a significant winning impact for a team with high aspirations.
It always helps a young player's development and reputation in the basketball world when they can serve as the winning effort driver while maintaining a consistent, efficient effort across various facets on the court. Though, some have even begun to wonder if Collin Murray-Boyles' rookie campaign is flying under the radar to some degree. And to borrow the title from one of my favorite movies of this generation, let's not forget that CMB can truly do Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.