The center question around the Toronto Raptors has hovered all the way back to last season, but the answer may not be a splashy upgrade at all. Collin Murray-Boyles already showed he can handle a bigger job when Jakob Poeltl’s lingering back issue forced him out for 36 games during the regular season.
That opening turned into real responsibility. Murray-Boyles started 22 games while Poeltl was sidelined, and in that stretch he proved he can take on heavy fourth-quarter minutes and help finish games. The bigger point is that Toronto may care more about who closes than who opens the night, and coach Darko has shown a willingness to lean on small-ball looks with Murray-Boyles in the mix.
He isn’t a classic rim-protecting center, but he brings something different. Murray-Boyles can guard across all five positions, and that kind of versatility gives the Raptors a different kind of edge. After a strong rookie season, it raises a fair question about whether a center overhaul is actually necessary right away.
If a trade option surfaces before the deadline, Toronto will look into it. But moving Poeltl’s contract would not be easy without giving up draft capital, which makes any major shakeup tricky. Even if there’s a Marc Gasol-type deal out there, Murray-Boyles looks poised to keep rising.
That rise could be especially dangerous because of the defense around him. Toronto’s defensive upside has already been built on elite pieces, dating back to the Kawhi Leonard acquisition that immediately made his pairing with Scottie Barnes one of the league’s most feared defensive duos. Adding Murray-Boyles into that mix only raises the pressure for opposing offenses.
When TSN’s Josh Lewenberg asked Murray-Boyles about what this group could become on that end, he said, “I don’t think we have a limit to how good we can be. If we’re all dialled in, I feel like it’s going to be a nightmare for any team.”
The Draymond Green comparisons are already there, and Murray-Boyles is starting to show why. He can operate in pick-and-roll actions, work off hand-offs, and find cutters when the defense collapses.
Combine that with his defensive IQ and switchability, and the foundation is obvious. He still needs time and reps, and he’ll have to keep learning from the players around him.
Murray-Boyles knows the biggest step is mental as much as physical. “It’s more mental than our ability, I feel like,” said Murray-Boyles, elaborating on Josh Lewenberg’s question on defensive potential.
“Even if we didn’t have the best defenders, it’s more about being on the same page. When it comes to help and rotations and stuff like that, when a player gets beat, who can be there and step up for him?
I think that’s going to be our biggest thing to focus on when it comes to how good our defense can be.”
If Toronto keeps sharpening that defense, the offense should follow for Murray-Boyles. Once it all clicks, ‘CMB’ could become a familiar name around the league and a major part of what defines the Raptors.
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