It’s easy to overlook Collin Murray-Boyles in a talented rookie class, but the Raptors power forward has started showing that he’s worthy of recognition, writes Michael Grange of SportsNet. Murray-Boyles displayed his versatility in Monday’s win over Atlanta, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks, making him the first rookie to reach those numbers in a single game since 1991. Grange notes that only three players overall have achieved that combination over the past decade.
“A common mistake is when a player comes in, you already have an idea of what he has to be,” coach Darko Rajakovic said. “Sometimes we as coaches just try to box them in. Obviously, there is a role and there is stuff you’ve got to do. There is stuff you’ve got to learn. We’re constantly learning about Collin, what he can do, how he’s learning, how he is picking up on things. It’s really impressive, his development. The opportunity he’s taking on right now, he’s doing impressive things for us.”
Murray-Boyles does the little things as well, Grange adds, such as getting loose balls, hitting the offensive boards and playing the passing lanes on defense. Averaging just 19.2 minutes per night, he’s not going to have the flashy numbers of some of his peers, but he finds satisfaction in being part of such a strong rookie class.
“Everybody’s finding their niche,” he said. “Everybody’s making an impact on whatever team they were picked. … We’re proud of what we’ve done so far.”
There’s more from Toronto:
- As a late second-round pick in 2021, Sandro Mamukelashvili has felt the need to prove himself since he arrived in the NBA, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. He’s finding ways to limit his self-doubts while enjoying a breakout season in his first year with Toronto. “It’s been tough because of the position I was in,” Mamukelashvili said. “It’s not like you have a lot of chances to make a mistake. When you’re a second rounder on a two-way (contract), you’re such an easy person to move. If they like somebody else, you’re the first one gone. … I was hard on myself because I put a lot of work in and nothing came easy for me.”
- Brandon Ingram left tonight’s game at Charlotte with a sprained right thumb, but X-rays were negative, Lewenberg relays (Twitter link).
- The decision to waive veteran center Mo Bamba on Tuesday leaves the Raptors $967K over the tax threshold and $717K away from the first apron, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Toronto is not operating under a hard cap.
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic breaks down the roster into trade tiers, with Scottie Barnes as the only player listed as “practically untouchable.”