Sandro Mamukelashvili has quickly become a fan favourite in Toronto. He has been a huge boost to this young bench, providing stable scoring while helping the team deal with injuries to starting center Jakob Poeltl.
Recently, however, the Raptors have been dealing with a different absence. The physically imposing rookie, Collin Murray-Boyles, has missed the team’s last eight games with a nagging thumb injury.
His absence is being felt by Toronto's new fan favorite.
Why the Mamukelashvili-CMB pairing worked
When healthy, Collin Murray-Boyles worked in tandem with Sandro Mamukelashvili to back up Jakob Poeltl. The pair worked well together because of their differing skillsets.
Murray-Boyles is physical and versatile. He is a high-level athlete, capable of guarding quick players on the perimeter or big, strong players down low. However, the rookie still needs more polishing before he fully breaks out in the NBA. He has an inconsistent three-point shot and can sometimes try to do too much on offense, leading to high turnover numbers for his role.
Mamukelashvili represents a different type of player. He is not nearly as athletic or versatile on defense, but he is much more polished offensively. Despite his physical limitations, he has consistently found ways to produce double-digit scoring nights.
Together, they helped cover each other's flaws and enhance each other's strengths.
With Murray-Boyles now out of the lineup, that balance has disappeared, and Mamukelashvili is being asked to take on a role he may not be built for.
Are the Raptors asking too much from Mamu?
With Murray-Boyles out, Mamukelashvili has been forced into a much larger role as the team’s primary backup center. Scottie Barnes helps carry the load, but he can only do so much. As a result, Mamukelashvili is now taking on the physically imposing matchups that once belonged to Murray-Boyles, a role he is not best suited for.
Before Collin Murray-Boyles left the lineup, Mamu had an offensive rating of 112.7 and a defensive rating of 109.6 for a net rating of +3.1. In the eight games since CMB has been out, those numbers have dropped to 109.7 and 112.3 respectively, resulting in a -2.6 net rating.
Mamukelashvili is not a player built to consistently guard opposing centers. Without Murray-Boyles in the lineup, he is overtaxed defensively, which has also started to impact his offensive production.
His traditional numbers on offense tell a similar story. Before Murray-Boyles went out, he was averaging 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, while shooting 51.9% from the field, 38.1% from three, and 76.4% from the free throw line. In the last eight games, he has averaged 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, while shooting 48.1% from the field, 25.9% from three, and 68.8% from the free throw line.
The drop in shooting efficiency is the clearest indicator that Mamukelashvili may be wearing down. Tired legs often make it difficult to consistently knock down jump shots.
What is the fix?
The simplest fix is getting Collin Murray-Boyles back on the floor. Encouragingly, that could happen within the next few games.
Until then, Toronto could stagger Barnes and Poeltl to ensure Mamukelashvili is never left anchoring the frontcourt alone. Alternatively, Coach Darko Rajaković could explore spot minutes for Trayce Jackson-Davis or Jonathan Mogbo, the latter of which he seems to be exploring in limited samples.
Mamukelashvili has proven he can be an effective contributor, but he is at his best when he is not being asked to do too much. Getting Murray-Boyles back into the lineup would allow both players to return to the roles that made them successful in the first place.