The Toronto Raptors have two All-Star veterans in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, but the rest of their roster is a question mark long-term. That includes 2025 No. 9 overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles, who has been out with a thumb injury since late February and has yet to have a 20-point game.

The 20-year-old has shown flashes, as he became the first Raptor to ever notch 17 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals in a game on Jan. 11, which was a 116-115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He's also fourth among 2025 draftees with a 55.7 field goal percentage (minimum 40 games played).

However, Murray-Boyles ranks just 17th with 7.8 points per game despite ranking 13th with 22.3 minutes. Conversely, the 6-foot-7, 245-pounder is eighth with five rebounds. 

Part of why Murray-Boyles hasn't stood out compared to others in his class is having less playing time. For example, 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe leads the class with 35 minutes per game, followed by Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (33.7 minutes) and Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (32 minutes). It's no coincidence that Knueppel, Flagg, and Edgecombe are the top three players on NBA.com's latest Kia Rookie Ladder, respectively. Meanwhile, Murray-Boyles isn't in the top 10. 

None of this means that the former South Carolina Gamecock won't become a core piece in Toronto, but he has a ways to go.

While NBA players need to have more than one skill to become All-Stars, it helps for rookies to start by honing in on their strength. For example, Knueppel (44% 3-point on eight attempts) and Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (37.7% 3-point on 5.3 attempts) came into the league as sharpshooters, and they've continued that as professionals. They're also developing other parts of their games, but their shooting talent has helped them make an impact right away.

Murray-Boyles is a two-way forward who can guard multiple positions and score efficiently in the paint. The South Carolina native has stuck to his comfort zone offensively so far, as 4.8 of his 5.8 field goal attempts per game are two-pointers. He's also fourth on Toronto with a 109.3 defensive rating, per NBA Advanced Stats.

That production gives Murray-Boyles something to build on, but the Raptors won't know what they truly have in him until he becomes a consistent starter, as he's only started 22 of 47 appearances thus far. That's not bad for a rookie on a playoff-caliber team, but a top-10 pick eventually has to ascend further to justify the investment. 

If Murray-Boyles can establish himself as a defensive anchor and at least a third option offensively over the next couple of seasons, then Toronto will have something to hang its hat on other than Barnes and Ingram.