Prospect of Interest: How does Collin Murray-Boyles fit with Raptors?

After sorely lacking in the positional group last season, the Toronto Raptors’ frontcourt is suddenly beefed up.

The Raptors selected versatile power forward Collin Murray-Boyles ninth overall out of South Carolina on Wednesday night, silencing rumours of them trading away the pick for a short-term gain and instead going for a prospect they should be able to mould for the long term.

While Murray-Boyles wasn’t a highly touted recruit, coming in as the 108th-best prospect in the class of 2023 per 247 Sports, he’s built his stock with consistent play and high effort over his two years with the Gamecocks.

He took his game to another level in his sophomore season, averaging 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks while finishing with an SEC-leading 58.6 field-goal percentage and 59.9 effective field-goal percentage.

Despite the Gamecocks struggling to a 12-20 record, with a 2-16 record in conference play, Murray-Boyles’ success helped him earn a spot on the All-SEC second team and a top-10 selection at the draft. Not bad for a four-star, 108th-rated recruit.

The fit may not be obvious right away, but nothing is for certain until everyone is sharing the court. For now, here’s a look at how Murray-Boyles could slot into the Raptors’ new style of basketball.

Age: 19
Position: F/C
Height: Six-foot-seven
Weight: 239 pounds
Wingspan: Seven-foot-one

Versatile and tough defender

What will stand out most from Murray-Boyles’ tape, past the solid offensive efficiency in his second NCAA season, will be just how hard he fights on defence.

Potentially the second-best defender in his class after No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, Murray-Boyles has the size, strength and agility to switch 2-through-5 and has the length to jump passing lanes when he’s off the ball.

While he may not have the height to contend with seven-footers in the NBA, Murray-Boyles is adept at using his body and solid frame to leverage his opponent on defence, making it hard for back-to-the-basket bigs to back him down in the post.

Couple that with a solid wingspan at seven-foot-one, an eight-foot-10 standing reach, and a solid 34.5-inch vertical leap, and he’s got the physical tools to at least bother shots from bigger attackers.

He had some standout performances against tough bigs last season, like against Georgia when he held fellow 2025 draftee Asa Newell to 11 points on 3-of-10 from the field or against Auburn, when he shut down Wooden Award finalist Johni Broome to the tune of six points on 3-of-11.

He was deployed as a small-ball five plenty at South Carolina, and while it’s expected he could suit up in a similar role in spurts with the Raptors — akin to how Jonathan Mogbo did — Murray-Boyles’ strength comes from his versatility. Coupled alongside another versatile and switchable defender in Scottie Barnes, the Raptors could have counters for any look on any night.

Adding to his physical defensive gifts and high-level effort is his defensive IQ. He reads the play incredibly well and uses his length and reflexes to disrupt them. He’s usually at the right place at the right time, particularly when he’s slotted low on the block or on rotations, making him a strong help defender.

Big-bodied offensive playmaker

Because he can fit anywhere on defence, the question becomes where he can fit in on offence.

While he put up some solid scoring numbers at South Carolina, a lot of that had to do with his usage rate, which sat at 26.7 per cent — good for 10th in the SEC. He won’t get nearly that many looks in the NBA.

Instead, Murray-Boyles will have to find his place as a complementary ball-mover and play-finisher.

Though he finished with 2.4 assists per game, a solid mark for a big in college, he also gave up 2.4 turnovers. However, those turnovers were, a lot of the time, a result of the Gamecocks forcing the ball into his hands because they just didn’t have anyone else.

As a connective passer, Murray-Boyles sees the court well and always seems to make the right play. The Raptors grew as a ball-moving team last season, and the 20-year-old should only add another layer to that as a smart hub in the high or low post.

His physical attributes should also be able to translate on that end, as he uses his strong frame to bully smaller defenders to get to the rim, or leverages his size to get bigger defenders off-balance. Despite being built like a linebacker, he has the body control of an edge rusher, capable of twisting around his mark to finish layups with a soft touch.

The big concern for Murray-Boyles comes with his shooting, as his 26.5 three-point percentage and his inconsistent form leave a lot to be desired.

Toronto already struggled with spacing last season, shooting the third-fewest three-pointers in the league at 34 a game and hitting only 34.8 per cent — good for 23rd in the NBA.

When he and Barnes share the floor, the Raptors will be deploying two point forwards that, while they’re working on their shots, simply aren’t reliable enough from range to make a difference.

Because he gets into the high post a lot when setting up his team’s offence, Murray-Boyles inherently clogs up the middle, meaning that the rest of the Raptors won’t have the room to cross and operate through the centre that you’d hope for.

One suggested role for him on the perimeter is similar to Draymond Green’s on the Warriors, where the four-time champ has found a niche in setting teammates up with dribble handoffs, using his size to set a screen behind the arc and dragging his defender up high to create the necessary space inside. Murray-Boyles is a more than willing screen-setter, so he could find some comfort here.

For now, it’s a positive that Murray-Boyles understands his weak spot, mentioning in a post-draft interview with Taylor Rooks that his three-point shot is the area of his game he’s been working on.

His 70.7 per cent rate from the line in college indicate that there’s some room for improvement from deep, and his soft touch inside the arc on hooks and floaters could be a good sign moving forward, but as of now, for Murray-Boyles to make an impact on scoring, the Raptors will have to get creative with their wide sets.