Collin Murray-Boyles didn’t just survive his first playoff run - he looked like a player the Raptors could build around.
In that postseason stretch, he put up 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, finishing as Toronto’s third-leading scorer behind RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. That kind of production turned heads fast and made the case that the Raptors found a real draft win, one who fits neatly next to Barnes and earned a much larger spotlight heading into year two.
That spotlight, though, comes with some real baggage.
For one, Murray-Boyles now has to prove he can carry that playoff-level impact across an entire regular season and then keep it rolling into another postseason push. And just as important, he’s no longer sneaking up on anybody.
With Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and other established rotation pieces around him, opponents weren’t laser-focused on the rookie last season, especially after he missed several games with a thumb injury. That changes now.
After what he showed in the playoffs, teams will have him circled on the scouting report and will try to take away the parts of his offensive game he’s most comfortable with. He’ll have to adjust.
The Raptors are also counting on him because they don’t have much center depth behind Jakob Poeltl.
Poeltl is still expected to start, but Toronto needs Murray-Boyles to be a major piece off the bench, and maybe more than that. Summer league head coach Ivo Simovic told Raptors reporter Michael Grange earlier this month, “We need him to play 30-plus minutes.”
That’s a big ask for a second-year player, but it reflects where the roster stands. Murray-Boyles may be undersized, yet he brings athleticism, versatility and the kind of disruptive defense the Raptors need. If Poeltl’s bounce-back season doesn’t materialize, Murray-Boyles could wind up starting plenty of games anyway.
The timing matters too. Assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade still goes through, Toronto is working within a small window to chase a title with the championship veteran leading the offense. That means the Raptors are leaning hard on Murray-Boyles and the rest of their young core to handle meaningful roles right away.
If he’s ready, Toronto has another real piece in place. If he isn’t, and if opposing teams start exposing the new attention on him, the margin for error gets thin in a hurry. Development isn’t always linear after all.
In Other News...
Warriors Fans Suddenly Have A Stephen Curry Scenario To Fear
The idea of Stephen Curry in Toronto is the kind of offseason hypotheticals that usually gets filed away as internet noise, but this one has a little more texture because of the Raptors connection to him. Currys family history includes a Toronto chapter through his father, and he also spent part of his childhood in the city, which gives any theoretical fit a different feel than a random star swap.
Golden State fans are still left with the uneasy part of the conversation, though, because Curry has been open to the idea of creative thinking if it helps the Warriors get back on track after injuries altered the picture. Even in a speculative world, his future is not something that can be treated like a normal trade chip, and that is what makes the scenario worth watching rather than dismissing outright. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Revenge Path Just Got A Lot More Real
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For the Raptors, the bigger point is that their own ceiling could rise fast if Kawhi Leonard ends up in the mix and stays available. A healthier, more dangerous Toronto group would look like a far tougher matchup for Cleveland next time around, especially with the Cavs having already shown they can be stretched when the series gets physical and the margins get thin. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors May Have Found More Than Just Another Veteran Voice
Garrett Temples departure left the Raptors without one of the quieter stabilizers in their locker room, and Toronto moved quickly to replace that veteran presence with Kyle Anderson in free agency. The fit makes sense on paper. Anderson is the kind of experienced, versatile forward who can steady a second unit, give the staff reliable minutes when needed and help younger players navigate the daily grind that comes with a long season.
What makes the signing more interesting is that Toronto may be getting more than a placeholder for Temples old role. Anderson has bounced around the league recently, but he also brings a playoff background that should matter to a team trying to raise its standard around a young core. If he settles where the Raptors expect in the rotation, his value could come less from headlines and more from the sort of dependable influence that tends to show up when the games start meaning more. [Read more 🡒]