Toronto Raptors: Chris Boucher is ready to compete at the NBA level

Chris Boucher deserves his chance with the Toronto Raptors next year after being named G-league MVP and an impressive 2019 summer league performance

It’s been quite the whirlwind so far for Canadian Chris Boucher, who could prove to be a vital part of the Toronto Raptors rotation next season.

After going undrafted out of Oregon in 2017, the 26-year-old signed a free-agent contract with the Golden State Warriors. A brief stint with the Golden State came to an end in the summer of 2018 when they put him on waivers, paving the way for Boucher to sign with his native country’s only team, the Raptors.

Just months after signing a free-agent deal with the Raps, the Montreal native signed an NBA contract in October of 2018, allowing him to play with both the NBA team and their G-League affiliate, Raptors 905.

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He only featured in 28 games last season, averaging 5.8 minutes per night due to a bevy of centers above him in the pecking order such as Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol. In the minimal time he saw in the NBA this past season, Boucher still averaged 3.3 points.

But after Boucher’s outstanding G-league season where he averaged 27.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, and a whopping 4.1 blocks per game en route to the league MVP, it’s about time that he gets more opportunities at the NBA level.

To top off his unreal campaign for Raptors 905, he just averaged 23 points per night in the 2019 NBA summer league through four games, collecting 9.8 rebounds in the process.

Why he could excel in the NBA

Although Boucher has played both the power forward and center position, it’s more than likely he will see more minutes at the latter off the bench next season to ease the workload of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, who are both not the youngest of players. His talent has been on full display over this past season.

At 6-foot-11, Boucher has outstanding length, energy, and a special ability to shoot the ball and convert at the hoop. His 51 percent clip from the field in the G-league reflects that. Boucher is also decent from the charity stripe, shooting 76.2 percent. He is very good at getting up and down the court as well, stretching the floor efficiently for a big.

For his size, he’s very athletic, using his long frame to fearlessly drive to the rim and finish aggressively on a regular basis. At just 200 pounds, he does need to bulk up a little more in order to really compete against bigs in the NBA, but the thought is he could put on some more weight.

Boucher’s 7-foot-4 wingspan is a trait that has helped him be such an impactful rim protector and rebounder. His average of four blocks per contest this past season was one block more than anyone else in the G-league. Despite his light frame, I have no doubt that he can definitely have a presence in the paint at the NBA level, especially when it comes to swatting opponents.

Frankly, Boucher has nothing else to prove in the G-league. He’s won MVP, Defensive player of the year and been an instrumental piece in every aspect possible on the court. He’s even shown the ability to drain 3’s from time to time for a 31 percent clip on just over two attempts per game.

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He definitely deserves his opportunity to compete at the NBA level on a consistent basis. His combination of defensive and offensive abilities is too good to be ignored. Whether that chance is with the Raptors or another organization remains to be seen, but with two relatively older centers in Toronto, Chris Boucher should definitely see some minutes in the 2019-20 campaign.

Given his natural talents, there is a high chance that Boucher will run with the opportunity and excel.

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