The Toronto Raptors drafted South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles with the 9th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 239 pounds, boasting an elite physical frame. He averaged 16.8 points per game, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Moreover, he is a great defender who has a lot of pluses on offense. This was a surprising pick for the Raptors, with better fits on the board. With a very negative reaction from the fanbase early, we are here to look at why CMB will fit in this team.
Reasons for Raptors’ Surprising Collin Murray-Boyles Draft Pick are Clear
Defensive Beast
Murray-Boyle’s defensive versatility allowed him to switch on to any position 2-5 in college. With skills like his lateral movement and strong frame make him a great defender in space. While holding his own in the post against bigger opponents, he rarely allows them in deep positions. Another part of his defence is his footwork and hip mobility, which allows him to close out shooters effectively and recover when beaten to his spot. Collin’s IQ makes him very responsible for his age, very rarely falling for ball fakes and decoy actions.
At the NBA level, teams use switch-heavy defensive schemes along with offensive schemes that target weaknesses. In the case of Murray-Boyles, he has an already above-average ability to switch and defend 1 on 1 without needing help from defenders. He can also use his great frame and size at the NBA level, not being bullied by big wings and centers. Especially in the playoffs, teams will attack players if it means easy points, and the good news is he will never be one of those players. If the Raptors were in the playoffs next year, unlike many rookies in this draft class, he would be a positive on defence, potentially even an anchor off the bench.
Complementary Player
Often, when we think about complementary NBA players, it’s a 3-and-D player, but we forget about the other little things. Collin is a perfect example of that, as he isn’t a great shooter with not a lot of upside in his shot. But he is a great cutter while being an amazing defender. He also does other small things like rebounding and making smart plays at the rim. With where this Raptors team is at a player like Murray-Boyles is great because he is an off-ball player. While the Raptors could have drafted the best player available, like they usually do, they opted to draft for fit with the hope of rounding out a solid squad for next year’s playoffs.
To start his NBA career in the Raptors organization, with the number of wings they have, will be difficult. For Murray-Boyles, he will most likely start off the bench behind Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes and play a mix of the 3-4. Bar any trades he will join a great bench core with Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter and Jonathan Mogbo. With an average age of 21.5, adding Murray-Boyles to be a defensive catalyst makes them a scary young bench mob. CMB can make an immediate impact coming into the squad.
Upside
Ultimately, I believe the reason Murray-Boyles was chosen is because the Raptors organization believes they can develop talent. We have seen the organization develop the jump shot of players like Pascal Siakam and Ochai Agbaji. With Murray-Boyles, if he can develop that shot to be average, he could be a star, and that is the kind of player Masai loves.
Featured image: © Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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