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Hornets NBA draft scouting Report: Evaluating Collin Murray-Boyles' fit in Charlotte

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 9:52 PM ET

The NBA draft lottery is two weeks away and Charlotte Hornets fans across the globe have visions of sugar plums and Cooper Flagg slams in their heads when they snooze. Although the dream of the wunderkind landing in Charlotte may become a reality in less than 14 days, the odds of that happening are not in the Hornets' favor.

Realistically, Charlotte is most likely to be selecting somewhere between three and five in the draft order, picking from a tier that contains a muddled group of prospects whose beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One of those prospects is an intriguing forward out of the University of South Carolina who draws comparisons to a key member of the Charlotte Hornets: Collin Murray-Boyles.

Analyzing Collin Murray-Boyles' game

Murray-Boyles, also known as CMB, is one of the more puzzling prospects in this range. Evaluators who watch his film with a glass-half-full mindset see a versatile defender with enough touch, passing skill, and work ethic to function in a high-level NBA setting. Murray-Boyles' detractors see a ground-bound, undersized center who needs perfect surroundings to contribute to winning basketball.

So what is it?

Personally, I choose to believe in the potential that CMB exhibited in his two years as a Gamecock.

His counting stats as a sophomore were impressive. The 6'7" power forward averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals in 32 games against some of the stiffest competition the NCAA had to offer. Murray-Boyles dragged a woeful South Carolina team into nightly dogfights in the SEC, and although his Gamecocks didn't win many games, they stayed competitive due the extraordinary play of their two-way interior force.

The sell for Murray-Boyles is on the defensive end. Although he's only 6'7", his arms extend forever and at times it looks like he has four or five of them. CMB's active hands pluck errant passes out of the air like he's catching flies, and his elite feel on defense often has him in the right position to deter drivers at the rim. Murray-Boyles is the ultimate fireman: on defense, he is everywhere, putting out the fires his teammates created.

Charles Lee uses the term "MIG," most-important-guy, when talking about defending, and Murray-Boyles is adept as tagging dangerous rollers and shading to the play side to split two dangerous offensive players when an advantage is created.

His college block (4.7%) and steal (2.9%) rates as a Gamecock mirror the college numbers of a player he comps to in his 99th percentile outcome: Draymond Green, proving his ridiculous defensive influence.

On offense, Murray-Boyles is a slick passer with again, (a gaggle of words you'll read a million times between now and the NBA Draft) great feel for the game. CMB processes the floor at a high level and looks to set up his teammates for easy looks in transition with outlet passes (a la Kevin Love), in the short roll (a skill Charles Lee craves in his bigs) or out of the post.

He's a patient paint scorer that dekes defenders with a flurry of fakes before finishing strong through contact. The most effective parts of his individual scoring game are in the paint where he made 62% of his close two-point attempts and drew fouls at an above-average level.

Murray-Boyles is a strong, powerful screener that uses every inch of his frame to knock defenders off their course to create openings for shooters and drivers from the perimter.

However, the detractors of his game will point to his lack of long-range shooting ability. CMB only knocked down nine total three-point attempts at South Carolina, all of which came in his sophomore season. His mechanics look repeatable, but the burly big man hasn't shown an ability to stretch the floor at a consistent clip.

Those who believe he will develop a modicum of downtown competency will point to his touch on close shots and improving free throw percentage (67.4% as a freshman, 70.7% as a sophomore), but I'm bearish on it ever coming to fruition.

Murray-Boyles' NBA comp and his fit with Charlotte

If everything breaks right for Murray-Boyles I could see Charlotte utilizing exactly how they deployed Grant Williams, my comp for CMB, before his unfortunate knee injury.

Charles Lee deployed Williams a screen-setting, tertiary playmaking hub at the top of the key who dices up defenses with his steady passing and old-school offensive game, a role Murray-Boyles could thrive in. CMB won't shoot it like Williams, who made a habit of knocking down threes in transition as a Hornet, but go back and watch Charlotte in October and November: They ran a large percentage of their offense with Williams, LaMelo Ball, and Brandon Miller in the action together.

On defense, Williams played some small ball five and held his own. When he wasn't guarding bigs, Williams switched all over the floor, but was most comfortable guarding other power forwards in the dunker spot as a second level helper. Murray-Boyles can do all of that on day one with his athletic giftings, although it will take some time for him to develop Williams' understanding of NBA offenses.

If Charlotte slips in the draft order, Collin Murray-Boyles feels like the exact type of player Charles Lee and Jeff Peterson will covet. An ascending, two-way, versatile chess piece that will work his tail off every day to impact winning basketball in the Queen City.