Raptors Have a New Frontcourt Combination Worth Watching After Bucks Win

The Toronto Raptors may have found something worth keeping in their frontcourt, and Collin Murray-Boyles is quickly becoming a big part of that conversation.

Murray-Boyles continued his recent stretch of strong play Friday night, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a block and four steals in Toronto’s 121-107 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Starting for the third consecutive game in place of the injured Scottie Barnes, the second-year forward set season highs in minutes, points and steals while shooting 7-of-12 from the field.

The performance followed a productive outing against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, when Murray-Boyles scored 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting in his second start of the season. Through his last three games, he is averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 55.6% from the field.

His production has given head coach Darko Rajaković another option to consider as Toronto works through its injuries. The more interesting development, though, may be what Murray-Boyles can do alongside Jakob Poeltl.

The Raptors were significantly more effective with both players on the floor during Friday's win, outscoring Milwaukee by 18 points in the 12 minutes Poeltl and Murray-Boyles shared the court in the second half. The Bucks also struggled to find much offense against the pairing, with Myles Turner, Jericho Sims and Kel'el Ware combining to shoot 2-of-14 from the field across 44 minutes.

The two big men offer different defensive strengths. Poeltl provides the traditional interior presence at seven feet, while Murray-Boyles has the mobility to defend further away from the basket and handle switches against smaller players. That combination could give Toronto some flexibility against teams that rely heavily on ball screens and movement around the perimeter.

FanSided's Chris Lambert had already made the case for giving Murray-Boyles a longer look at center following Wednesday's loss to Denver. Lambert pointed to his ability to move with Nikola Jokic, recover toward the rim and disrupt the Nuggets' actions around the perimeter. He also highlighted Murray-Boyles' passing from the post and the way his activity on the glass can contribute offensively.

Friday's performance gave that argument more weight, even if the Raptors have not yet had enough time to determine what their best frontcourt combination looks like.

There is also a question of what happens when Barnes and Kawhi Leonard return. Murray-Boyles will likely have a harder time maintaining his current role in the starting lineup, particularly with Poeltl available. Still, his recent play gives Rajaković a reason to find more consistent minutes for him.

Toronto may not have a permanent answer yet, but Murray-Boyles has made it increasingly difficult to treat his role as a temporary solution.