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Toronto Raptors Set to Unleash Collin Murray-Boyles 2.0 in Summer League
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- Toronto Raptors Set to Unleash Collin Murray-Boyles 2.0 in Summer League
The Toronto Raptors officially begin their summer league campaign tomorrow night against the Boston Celtics at 9:00 PM EST. The young guns, led by Raptors assistant coach Imo Simovic, are headlined by second-year sensation Collin Murray-Boyles, along with newest draft picks Allen Graves and Jaden Bradley.
It may come as a surprise to some that Murray-Boyles is playing, and risking injury, after such an impressive rookie season. After being selected with the No. 9 pick, he completely exceeded all expectations on both ends of the floor, while delivering his best basketball in the postseason. Obviously, there are aspects of his game that he should continue to work on to help the Raptors enter the championship contender echelon; however, in a typical case, it would be safer, and maybe smarter, to put the work in at practice rather than in games.
Toronto Raptors forward/center Collin Murray-Boyles | David Reginek-Imagn Images
Fortunately for Raptors fans, he not only is going to play in the Summer League, he will be displayed in a way he wasn't last season. Sportsnet's Michael Grange took a deep dive into the approach for the 21-year-old.
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"The focus has been on helping Murray-Boyles expand his game: take reps as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll situations; acting as a grab-and-go point guard in transition and working on his shooting so that he can help space the floor when he shares the court with the rest of the Raptors starters," said Grange. "His goal? 'To be more aggressive, be more on ball, making reads, making decisions for the team, trying to be an initiator,' Murray-Boyles said. He'll have the green light.
'I told him I want him to have six or seven turnovers a game,' said Simovic. 'It's Summer League. No one worries about that. If we win one game or four games, no one remembers. If he improves, that's the main thing for us.'
There has been a lot of work on Murray-Boyles' shooting, as well, and Simovic – whose regular-season role is as the Raptors' lead development coach - is optimistic that he will eventually emerge as a reliable catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the three-point line, though he cautions it's a lot to expect in one five-month off-season."
Raptors looking to push Murray-Boyles out of comfort zone at Summer League
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These words should be music to the ears of anyone around the Raptors or the fanbase. His impact on the floor next to Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram was undeniable last season. Now, replacing Ingram with seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard, Murray-Boyles will have very little pressure to be a primary scorer, but could prove to be the perfect complement to the two-time Finals MVP. If he's able to add even a reliable midrange jumper, he will be that much more dangerous and provide that much more space to the superstars.
Simultaneously, it's expected that the former South Carolina Gamecock will be coming off the bench to start the season, assuming Jakob Poeltl is fully healthy. This opportunity allows for Murray-Boyles to show off these skills as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll, and could appear to be the beginning of a second version of Barnes in the making. These are all lofty goals to hope for in just his second year in the league, but the more realistic improvements could be just as scary.
There is a reasonable expectation that the 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward will get better right away at attacking the basket. At such a young age, he is still growing into his dynamic frame, and as he continues to get an even better feel for the physicality of the game, which was not an issue for him as a rookie, he will be an absolute terror in the paint for opposing defenses. That comes both in off-ball cuts as well as drives to the rim from the perimeter.
Toronto Raptors forward/center Collin Murray-Boyles (12) | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
His defense hasn't even been mentioned yet. He earned more minutes rapidly throughout last season because of his adept defensive versatility and capabilities. Whether it was switching onto a perimeter player, defending the post, clogging the passing lanes, or helping in the paint, he was able to very quickly learn from his star counterpart, who finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
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Touching again on his projected progression with physicality, this will allow him to have a very similar presence to Barnes, where opposing ball handlers will be forced to know where he is at all times. Throw in a two-time DPOY winner in Leonard, and the Raptors should be on their way to having one of, if not the best, defensive trios of all time.
