TORONTO – RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram provided loads of offence for the Toronto Raptors of their third win of the young season, but it surely was rookie Collin Murray-Boyles who received loads of the post-game praise.
In just his fifth NBA game, the 20-year-old University of South Carolina product continued to impress because the Raptors won back-to-back games for the primary time this season, a 117-104 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Murray-Boyles scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and arrange teammates for five baskets before 16,746 fans at Scotiabank Arena.
“I don’t think he’s playing like a rookie straight away,” said Barrett, who scored a game-high 27 points. “He’s playing thoroughly. He’s having some big minutes, especially in these first couple of games.
“I remember being a rookie; it was hard to figure it out. But he was playing physical. He’s not afraid, he’s doing the proper stuff. I mean, he’s playing great.”
Murray-Boyles was chosen ninth overall on the 2025 NBA draft. His early-season play has earned the trust of his latest teammates and the Raptors coaching staff.
Related Videos
“He’s a really talented basketball player,” Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He has such a superb feel for the sport (together with his) spacing. He’s really good in his role together with his pick-and-rolls. Tonight, he had one lob dunk that Brandon Ingram threw to him. He just does a superb job of being in the proper place, and he competes at a very, really high level.
Get each day National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
“I do think that it’s not talked enough about how good a passer he’s. But he’s also adjusting to the speed of the sport as well. You saw that in a single transition, he just threw the ball out. But then all of that is a component of learning. So I feel he’s doing a very good job.”
Murray-Boyles credits his work in the summertime as the explanation he’s been capable of step in and contribute immediately.
He played for the Raptors within the NBA summer league, then worked out with other Raptors before training camp and his crash course within the pre-season games.
“You’ve all that to regulate,” he said. “If I make a mistake, I just attempt to learn from it.”
Barrett’s hot start also has rather a lot to do together with his work in the summertime. Rajakovic revealed that Barrett worked long hours on the Raptors’ practice facility, working on his jumper.
But he also believes not having to play for Canada on the international scene in the summertime has helped in the remainder department.
“I can feel the difference now already within the season,” Barrett said. “And likewise just feeling rather a lot higher coming into the season, feeling more fresh. Having more energy in these games, it’s definitely rather a lot different coming in, having the entire summer, not having played through the summer. I’m enthusiastic about it.”
Barrett added that he’s now not the opponent’s sole focus with Ingram on the scene.
“With (Ingram) coming, the shots are rather a lot easier for me,” Barrett said. “There’s one other threat on the market that the team has to fret about. So, I feel we’re doing a superb job of, you understand, everybody sharing the ball, being within the flow.
“And we’re form of all sharing ball up, to be honest.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press