Inside Collin Murray-Boyles’ turnaround with the Raptors

When Toronto was awarded an NBA franchise in 1994 and it chose the team name, “Raptors,” the initial public reaction included plenty of mockery. But kids like dinosaurs, and Jurassic Park had just been released in 1993, so the jerseys sold well. The kitsch factor perhaps overshadowed the silliness of a name that truly had nothing to do with the city of Toronto. 

But fast forward a few decades, and the name is a mainstay. The Raptors are a beloved institution. They may not have had anything to do with the city of Toronto, but they sure do now. 

Collin Murray-Boyles is undergoing something of a similar progression, albeit shrunk into the span of a month and change. 

He entered the league somewhat overmatched. (As do virtually all rookies.) But that unfamiliarity with the league and its nuances showed in a variety of ways, especially on the glass. He averaged 2.5 rebounds per game for his first four contests, including a showing with zilch in the defensive rebounding column in the first game of his career. Murray-Boyles’ transcendent hands — Magneto, if Es Baraheni has his way — didn’t manifest in much.

“Once he came to us, we knew that he’s a good rebounder,” said Darko Rajakovic. “But being a good rebounder in college where he can just move somebody and get the rebound is a little bit different than in this league. Early in the season, he was trying to do that, and guys were getting the rebound over him.”

At the same time — and this is the parallel of the Raptors’ kitsch factor still resulting in jersey sales — Murray-Boyles’ unexpected hot shooting streak overshadowed his struggles. He came into the league bombing away from deep. And not just in the corners, but from above the break, too. He shot 9-of-39 from deep in two seasons in college, good for 23.1 percent. But in those first four NBA contests, he shot 6-of-10 from behind the line, good for (yes, we can all do the math here) 60 percent. Even while the Raptors were losing, and Murray-Boyles was at times lost, he still basked in splendor and glory from his unexpected long-distance sniping. 

But when that jumper abandoned him, Murray-Boyles’ game quietly disintegrated. The shooting had been hiding the fact that many of his best strengths in college hadn’t yet found their way to the NBA. He peaked at 31 minutes played in his fifth game after the hot shooting streak, but after that his playing time has dwindled. His minutes sank all the way to 7:41 on Nov. 26, as he committed two fouls — more than all his points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks combined. Even his transcendent defence hadn’t popped for full quarters, full games at a time.

Since that time, albeit in just a small handful of games, Murray-Boyles has found a far more sustainable path to winning basketball. He’s rebounding better. His positioning has improved. And with his foundations more stable, he has been far better able to positively impact the court regardless of the success of his jumper. 

In the next game on Nov. 29, Murray-Boyles hit the floor against the Charlotte Hornets and immediately threw his weight around. He contested shots around the rim. He fought for offensive rebounds, winning some, losing others, but always getting his mitts on the orange once or twice. He expanded, catching the ball on the roll after a meaty screen, pivoting to the rim, pivoting out, and throwing the ball to Immanuel Quickley for an easy triple. In the third quarter, he drew a foul battling three Hornets for an offensive rebound. He gathered two steals with his Magneto Mitts. His minutes were quiet, but his impact was loud. 

The Raptors had started slow and lazy, but Murray-Boyles’ energy and intentionality spread to his teammates. The Raptors built a big lead. Then Murray-Boyles left midway through the fourth quarter, and the Raptors proceeded to blow the lead. Toronto’s winning streak died. But Murray-Boyles had taken a real step forward in the progression of his career.

“Last couple of games, you can really see more focus on trying to get rebounds, offensively and defensively, to go above the rim, to hit first, to go get those,” said Rajakovic. 

And in the following game, he expanded his role. He tore down the floor in transition — another focus of his, says Rajakovic — for some uncontested dunks. His defence in the lane helped push the opposing New York Knicks drives further from the rim, meaning the Raptors gave up far fewer open triples. He fought for five offensive rebounds and helped kickstart a Raptors run that at least made the game watchable for a time. He did it all without hitting a single triple. 

“He’s a very talented player, he can pass the ball really well,” said Rajakovic. “But he needs time. He needs time to learn the league, to learn the referees, to learn how to adjust to all of that. But [we are] really satisfied with his development so far.” 

Against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 2, Murray-Boyles drew a hard foul in the first quarter while chasing an offensive rebound. It was the second time this season that Murray-Boyles was hauled down by an opponent by his arm while chasing a rebound. His physicality bothers opponents. And on he tips in his teammate’s miss on that very possession to steal the Raptors two points in a close game. 

Later, Gradey Dick fell to the ground as he receives a stiff arm to the face. The whistle blew, and Dick — in the middle of an extended shooting slump — sat on the ground. Murray-Boyles walked over and bodily picked him up and placed him back on his feet. 

Murray-Boyles jumped in front of would-be uncontested drives, walled them off, tipped away rushed and panicked passes. He ran in transition and buried his defender for layups after the hit-ahead pass. He cut for finishes.

“Really happy with his development,” said Rajakovic.

He’s still not driving very much, averaging 1.2 per game on the season — with zero recorded half-court drives in the last five games. He’s outrunning that issue by catapulting himself to the rim in the open court. He’s still not cleaning the defensive glass. He’s outhustling that issue by annihilating rebounds on the offensive end. He’s still not scoring with ease, especially now that his 3-point jumper is back to non-existent. He’s outfoxing that issue by throwing productive fastball passes almost instantaneously after touching the ball himself. And as a rich base underlying that stew of production sits his ever-present, ever-impactful defence. That has shown up. He happily dances with the smalls, wrestles with the bigs, and reaches his crocodile hands into the cookie jar at every available opportunity.

All in all, Murray-Boyles has made himself into a tidy rotation player. There’s still meat on the bone, of course. Much of his game will join him on NBA courts eventually. Driving the basketball should eventually become a major component of his offence. His screening will be more impactful. He’ll grab defensive rebounds too. All that will come. But finally, and even without 3-point shooting (for now?!), Murray-Boyles has joined the party in finding impact and success in the NBA. He’s just one in a long list of things that are currently going right for the Raptors. And he, like his team decades before him, is well on his way to becoming a mainstay in the city.