2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 9

[Double Helix]

Columnists are speculating on Cs anticipating the Raptors will take one and assuming Maluach is gone so that is why you’re going to see names like Sorber, Queen and Wolf tied but I still think CMB is the name we are gonna hear tomorrow night.

[ArthurVandelay]

Columnists are speculating on Cs anticipating the Raptors will take one and assuming Maluach is gone so that is why you’re going to see names like Sorber, Queen and Wolf tied but I still think CMB is the name we are gonna hear tomorrow night.

His advanced stats scream Raptor...the fact he can't shoot doesn't hurt either lol

[grant101]

Raptors trading for Zinger would really blow up everyone's draft board. It would really change options and opportunities.

I may be in the minority, but I would love this for us. KP as our back-up would be a great change of pace. Plus, he's off the books next year.

[OakleyDokely]

If he adds a 3 he suddenly has SF versatility like Scottie does which is huge and then you’re talking about versatility to play 3-5 as needed which would make him Unicorn-ish and highly sought after as an asset.

He's at 27% so far. It’s not great but it’s also not like Giannis or Simmons bad either.

The volume is so low, I'm not sure if the %'s even matter. He only took 34 total 3s. The biggest thing was he actually started taking some 3s regularly this year, since it wasn't a part of his game at all in his freshman year. The concern is his form though, which doesn't look the greatest, Probably needs to be re-worked.

[Double Helix]

Columnists are speculating on Cs anticipating the Raptors will take one and assuming Maluach is gone so that is why you’re going to see names like Sorber, Queen and Wolf tied but I still think CMB is the name we are gonna hear tomorrow night.

His advanced stats scream Raptor...the fact he can't shoot doesn't hurt either lol

His advanced stats. The fact he was counted out. The fact he met with the team at the combine and knew about the team and felt he’d fit in with how we play. The fact that he’s got the long arms and positional versatility long term. The fact that everyone else is prioritizing the search for offence so they see an opportunity to grab the draft’s best defender and a potential elite defender in the league. The fact that his 3 pointer will feel fixable to them. The fact that they don’t mind him playing off the bench in a variety of roles while he learns and adapts. The fact he helps them get more out of their jump shooting draft picks from the last 2 drafts prior.

Heck, he’s not even that much of a reach at 9. He’s been mocked 10-14 most places. He gives similar stuff on O that Queen does but with way better D.


Add that all up and I think he’s our pick.

[Double Helix]

FWIW, the creator of ESPN’s Real +/- & RAPM, who I know the Raptors have respect for from chatting with front office personal in the past about analytics, sees CMB as a top 3 impact guy mostly due to the defence. He says the following about him:

3. Collin Murray-Boyles
South Carolina
Sophomore
Forward
6’7” | 239
Age on draft night: 20.0
When I look back at my past draft boards, I tend to evaluate my own projections through the lens of impact metrics. That's why defense plays such a huge part in where I rank players — it's half the game, although individual players can create more value on offense than on defense because they control the ball.
And while we shouldn't throw names of historical greats around lightly when making comparisons, CMB is the most similar player to Draymond Green I've seen in a long time.
Sure, there are players that are longer or more athletic, but CMB reads the game differently, always aware of the opposing offense's plan, coordinating switches and finding the perfect moments when teammates need his help.
I'd be very surprised if his defensive impact came out below +2.
Coupled with a high number of and-1s he was able to convert in college (thanks to his elite ability to finish through contact), it seems fairly likely CMB will end up being a top-50 NBA impact player despite his shooting woes.

Very high praise.

[arbsn]

Who might the Raptors want to fall to 9, with them blowing smokescreens? Is it Jeremiah Fears?

Fears would be the ultimate dream.. Just don't see a world where he slips unless Utah and BK do something weird

[TNRaps4life]

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A promise.. my guess is Brooklyn or Raptors

[MavCarter]

Im not a shooting expert, how broken is CMB's mechanics? Is it fixable? The coaching staff did a pretty good job with ochai last year but im not sure how broken ochais mechanics were

[GIZMO]

The more I think about it the more I think the smart money is on CMB being the Raptors pick at 9.

Analytics models love this kid. In large part because he projects as a possible DPOTY type of defensive menace.

I think myself and probably many Raptors fans wanted to write him off because his offensive game is such a poor fit for this roster and becuse of how desperate we are for an offensive star but there has always been a lot about CMB that has felt super Raptors-y.

We spent our last two first round picks on more offensive focused weapons and I expect that may change because the Raptors organization is going to consider an elite defensive weapon with some offensive promise as superior to a medium upside offensive one with negative defence.

I won’t be surprised if he is considered BPA by our org at 9 and if we draft him. Even though the fit is not ideal on O and he needs a lot of work to branch out his shooting.

Julius Randle-ish O combining with Draymond level D is just going to be too tempting for Masai and Bobby and Dan to pass up. Prepare yourselves for CMB.

CMB is a tough one. I think everyone knows he is going to be an impactful player & if he lands out of the top 10, some team is going to get really good value.....possibly top 5 player in a re-draft.

I wouldn't be against the Raptors taking him. He isn't in my top 5, but if he is an impact player & has elite level skills, he might be worth picking at 9. We need impact players. It doesn't really matter if that impact is on offense or defense. At this stage in the re-building process, we just need to collect as many impactful/ winning players as possible, then figure it out from there.

Edit: It's tough though.....with guys like Scottie & Mogbo already on the roster, do we really need another one of these archetypes (6'7" guy who is elite defensively, but can't shoot)? CMB seems to be what we all hoped Mogbo could become. I don't think CMB fills any holes that we have.....that's the challenge. I think he's on the Raps radar, but maybe not top 3.

although I agree with your premise, I think the team takes BPA and figure things out after.

[djsunyc]

This board will have an unnecessary meltdown if we pass on Maluach

people that whine and complain will always whine and complain - doesn't matter the context.

regardless how anybody feels about masai, the one thing that's not debatable is his ability to draft. trust the pick, whomever it will end up being.

[djsunyc]

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?s=19


A promise.. my guess is Brooklyn or Raptors

damn, that's not a great look tho. you're in the finals but i understand getting drafted is a childhood dream, once in a lifetime type of thing.

[djsunyc]

Im not a shooting expert, how broken is CMB's mechanics? Is it fixable? The coaching staff did a pretty good job with ochai last year but im not sure how broken ochais mechanics were

start at 9:32. form looks OK but he can't shoot.

Watch on YouTube

[douggood]

pretty sweet spot that many teams infront of us dont need size, yet the teams behind us need size.

[Double Helix]

Yeah. I would say he needs to rebuild his shot from the ground up. Which they’d try to. Something is off clearly.

If he already had a 3 ball though he’d be a top 6 lock with his D so we can’t have everything.

[DonDoolie]

I'm not going to lie I PRAY some team makes a bum ass selection like an Anthony Bennett type pick

[elmer_yuck]

I’m persuaded. I’m now a CMB guy.
The Raptors have always believed they can teach players how to shoot.

[RapsFanInOhio]

This board will have an unnecessary meltdown if we pass on Maluach

I’ve been super high on him and have felt like he’s been our guy for a long time, but I don’t know if I would melt down. I would be very shocked.

Having said that, Masai has probably more insight on this guy than anyone else in the draft so if he passes over him, I’ll have confidence it was the right call. They’ve really earned that trust with their drafting over the last decade, honestly.

[pharring]

Yeah. I would say he needs to rebuild his shot from the ground up. Which they’d try to. Something is off clearly.

If he already had a 3 ball though he’d be a top 6 lock with his D so we can’t have everything.

Debo didn't come in with a perfected jumper. I recall them sitting Demar in a chair and having him repeatedly rise up to get him to align his form.

Seems to have worked out in the long run

I think what would make me most excited if they drafted CMB is that it means their professional evaluators and Masai/Bobby also see the potential best-case scenario that CMB presents and believe he can reach it. Because CMB's best case is so much more valuable than a lot of others' best-case in this draft.

I think they go chalk with Maluach or Bryant and I'm a big supporter of both... but I'd be very excited to see CMB get taken at 9.

(I also think Fears drops past us. He's my pick for surprize drop)

[Brinbe]

we already have a frontcourt that can't shoot lol. I sort of get the idea of CMB from a defensive standpoint but we already have Scottie and Mogbo as similar players who already do a lot of what he'd bring and he doesn't at all gel with the guys we have on offense. The spacing would be horrible. And you can say what you want about hoping his shooting suddenly improves but you could say that about every prospect. I've made the comparison before, but he's just a beefier potentially better Rondae Hollis-Jefferson that can be a versatile defender but is pretty much inside-the-arc on the offensive end. And unlike at South Carolina, he's hardly gonna be the primary on-ball guy, so is he gonna be a brawnier Bruce Brown then? So in terms of being an undersized C, I don't think you take a defense-first energy big in the top 10 when you're already a bad shooting team.

I don't know what NBA people have been watching, but shooting is paramount in addition to the defense unless you're a rim-running/defensive-oriented big.

If you wanna go down the defensive road, most everything CMB does from a defensive standpoint isn't anything that Carter Bryant can't potentially do too but at least he can shoot a 3.

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And the Raptors are hard to read/linked to a bunch of prospects because the top of the draft apart from Flagg/Harper is still completely up in the air. How are we any different from the Sixers, Pelicans or Nets? No one can say for sure what they're gonna do either lol. A bunch of teams may trade up and throw everying off. So while the Raps may have their eye on a particular prospect who drops, no one really knows anything either way and it's good that they're keeping their options open on a wide variety of prospects for a potential trade back if the value isn't there.

I wouldn't mind getting 2 first round caliber prospects out of this draft as the quality of player really starts to dip once you get to the 39th pick and that's where the impact of all the guys returning to school will be felt.