What's Chris Boucher's Role With Siakim's Return?

[WaltFrazier]

Nurse has played him 7, 9, 5 and 8 minutes in 4 different games. ie benching him after ineffective play 4 times. The other games he has played from 17-20 minutes per game. 5 ppg. 19% from 3. 8 blocks total in 10 games.

But I guess Nick is missing the boat because somehow magically he makes the defense better just by being on the court.

[Wannabe MEP]

When Boucher has been on the court this year, the team has blocked shots at a particularly high rate...

Team blocks per 100 possessions with player on court

1. Boucher 5.0
2. Trent 4.1
3. Precious 4.0
4. OG 4.0
5. FVV 3.9
6. Barnes 3.8
7. Svi 3.8
8. Birch 3.7
9. Banton 3.6

...rebounded well...

Team rebound % with player on court

1. Birch 55.3
2. Banton 54.9
3. Boucher 54.1
4. Barnes 54.0
5. Trent 52.4
6. FVV 52.1
7. Svi 51.8
8. OG 51.5
9. Precious 51.1

...forced turnovers...

Opponent turnovers per 100 possessions with player on court

1. Birch 19.1
2. Boucher 19.1
3. OG 18.8
4. Trent 17.8
5. Barnes 17.6
6. Banton 17.5
7. Svi 17.4
8. FVV 17.4
9. Precious 16.6

...and prevented the other team from making shots.

Opponent FG% with player on court

1. Boucher 40.8
2. Banton 43.6
3. FVV 43.9
4. Birch 44.6
5. Svi 44.9
6. Precious 45.3
7. Barnes 45.3
8. OG 45.9
9. Trent 46.2

[seanbig]

Chris has been pretty bad

The fact his shot is broken and he has low bbiq with shots doesn’t help

He’s a great Help defender and a spark when you least expect it

He’s totally unreliable when you need to count on him

If Pascal excels Chris will be trash time material

If not Chris might still be part of the bench rotation

He would NOT be in the team long cuz…. If he’s good the raps can’t afford him

If he’s not good- why keep him

[Wannabe MEP]

Boucher's individual contributions:

Blocks per 100 possessions

1. Boucher 2.8
2. Banton 1.2
3. Barnes 1.0
4. OG 0.9
5. Trent 0.6
6. Birch 0.6
7. Precious 0.6
8. FVV 0.5
9. Svi 0.0

Rebounds per 100 possessions

1. Precious 18.3
2. Boucher 13.8
3. Barnes 12.4
4. Birch 12.3
5. Banton 9.2
6. Svi 8.1
7. OG 7.6
8. FVV 6.7
9. Trent 4.9

Steals per 100 possessions

1. Trent 4.6
2. Banton 2.8
3. Boucher 2.5
4. OG 2.3
5. Svi 2.3
6. FVV 1.9
7. Birch 1.7
8. Barnes 0.9
9. Precious 0.8

[Ell Curry]

My guess is he moves to Chicago for Derrick Jones Jr.'s expiring deal and a 2nd rounder since we don't have one this year and Chicago is going for it but doesn't have a starting 4 or smallball 5 option.

[Wannabe MEP]

By NBA WOWY...

Birch with Boucher defensive rating: 95.1 (104 minutes)
Birch without Boucher defensive rating: 110.9 (134 minutes)

[VanWest82]

It's funny because when I watch Boucher he makes so many mistakes defensively that I have to believe it's giving Nurse heartburn watching the same thing, and yet our DRTG is the best when Boucher is on the court. It must be small sample size or something.

Offensively, Chris is giving us almost nothing this year. His two handed shot is off and he's not doing enough else to impact the game. I expect he'll be benched once Pascal returns.

[ruckus]

From what I'm seeing, his defense has been decent and he has good chemistry with Khem Birch. His offense hasn't been there. And honestly his offense is just his 3-pt shot.

His role is a bench 4.

[Pointgod]

Chris Boucher was a pleasant surprise in an otherwise dismal 2020-21 season.

That said, Boucher has been disappointing this season and his shot is a mess. Nurse has publicly spoken about Chris' underwhelming performance so far. Will Lou made some observations about Chris after the Cleveland loss which I think are spot on. He called him a train wreck, which is harsh but accurate.

I liked last year's version of Boucher a lot, but with Siakim back and Watanabe returning soon, where does Boucher fit? Is he a potential trade piece?

Siakam's return will push Chris Boucher out of the rotation entirely. Boucher has been a train wreck all season, making rookie mistakes on defence that even the Raptors' rookies wouldn't do, while also being a non-factor offensively.

Nurse benched Boucher after a disastrous first shift that saw Boucher get outmuscled in the post for an and-one, fail to rotate over at the rim for a layup, brick an open three, fumble a pass out of bounds, while also leaving his feet on a pair of pump fakes that allowed the Cavaliers to score.

Last season, Boucher was a productive player at a position of weakness, who made many of the same mistakes but hit just enough sidespin threes to make it work. Now he's hitting under 20 percent from three, and all that's left are the same unforced errors that would make even the most patient of coaches go bald.

The offence will come around eventually, but he will always be limited by his inability to read the game. Rookies like Barnes and Dalano Banton have more discipline a month into their careers than Boucher who is now in his fourth season with the Raptors.

His role is head poutine chef

[rarefind]

DNP CD

[kj_]

Boucher's individual contributions:

Blocks per 100 possessions

1. Boucher 2.8
2. Banton 1.2
3. Barnes 1.0
4. OG 0.9
5. Trent 0.6
6. Birch 0.6
7. Precious 0.6
8. FVV 0.5
9. Svi 0.0

Rebounds per 100 possessions

1. Precious 18.3
2. Boucher 13.8
3. Barnes 12.4
4. Birch 12.3
5. Banton 9.2
6. Svi 8.1
7. OG 7.6
8. FVV 6.7
9. Trent 4.9

Steals per 100 possessions

1. Trent 4.6
2. Banton 2.8
3. Boucher 2.5
4. OG 2.3
5. Svi 2.3
6. FVV 1.9
7. Birch 1.7
8. Barnes 0.9
9. Precious 0.8

3pt % - 19%
Fg% - 32%

He’s been bad. There is no way to sugar coat it.


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[Grew]

Chris is better at being an undersized 5, he seems lost at the 4. No Kyle to run the 1-5 pick and roll with, less instances of him having a speed advantage to utilize while crashing the offensive glass. All he seems to be doing is standing at the three point line, but when he gets a chance to stretch the floor, he finds himself often contested by big 3's or mobile 4's, when last season he was often pulling 5 men out to the 3 point line and getting off clean looks when they sagged. Guy just doesn't know where his game is coming from this year.

He's looking like 3rd string undersized center unless Precious becomes unplayable.

[Indeed]

When Boucher has been on the court this year, the team has blocked shots at a particularly high rate...

Team blocks per 100 possessions with player on court

1. Boucher 5.0
2. Trent 4.1
3. Precious 4.0
4. OG 4.0
5. FVV 3.9
6. Barnes 3.8
7. Svi 3.8
8. Birch 3.7
9. Banton 3.6

...rebounded well...

Team rebound % with player on court

1. Birch 55.3
2. Banton 54.9
3. Boucher 54.1
4. Barnes 54.0
5. Trent 52.4
6. FVV 52.1
7. Svi 51.8
8. OG 51.5
9. Precious 51.1

...forced turnovers...

Opponent turnovers per 100 possessions with player on court

1. Birch 19.1
2. Boucher 19.1
3. OG 18.8
4. Trent 17.8
5. Barnes 17.6
6. Banton 17.5
7. Svi 17.4
8. FVV 17.4
9. Precious 16.6

...and prevented the other team from making shots.

Opponent FG% with player on court

1. Boucher 40.8
2. Banton 43.6
3. FVV 43.9
4. Birch 44.6
5. Svi 44.9
6. Precious 45.3
7. Barnes 45.3
8. OG 45.9
9. Trent 46.2

Impact of a shot blocker.

[Wannabe MEP]

It's funny because when I watch Boucher he makes so many mistakes defensively that I have to believe it's giving Nurse heartburn watching the same thing, and yet our DRTG is the best when Boucher is on the court. It must be small sample size or something.

When FVV plays perfect defense, people can still just...shoot over him. When Boucher plays imperfect defense at the four, his mobility and length are still enormously disruptive to the other team. He can make up for a mistake and still block or alter the shot.

[Wannabe MEP]

Chris is better at being an undersized 5, he seems lost at the 4. No Kyle to run the 1-5 pick and roll with, less instances of him having a speed advantage to utilize while crashing the offensive glass. All he seems to be doing is standing at the three point line, but when he gets a chance to stretch the floor, he finds himself often contested by big 3's or mobile 4's, when last season he was often pulling 5 men out to the 3 point line and getting off clean looks when they sagged.

I more or less agree with this concern with his offense at the four. Here's how I think about it:

Boucher at the 5: offense great, defense mediocre.
Boucher at the 4: defense great, offense mediocre.

^ I think it's possible for Boucher to be a unique, valuable contributor going either way. As evidenced by...

Boucher at the five last year:
____-____-OG-Siakam-Boucher +11.6 (OffRtg 117.8, DefRtg 106.2)

Boucher at the four this year:
____-____-____-Boucher-Birch +18.1 (OffRtg 109.2, DefRtg 91.0)

If he's at the 4 alongside Birch, the defense is going to be good: you have to emphasize shooting and play-making at the 1-3. If he's at the 5, you have to put decent size/defense at the 3 and 4. If you do either of those things, Boucher has proven that he can be a solid contributor for $7 million.

[VanWest82]

It's funny because when I watch Boucher he makes so many mistakes defensively that I have to believe it's giving Nurse heartburn watching the same thing, and yet our DRTG is the best when Boucher is on the court. It must be small sample size or something.

When FVV plays perfect defense, people can still just...shoot over him. When Boucher plays imperfect defense at the four, his mobility and length are still enormously disruptive to the other team. He can make up for a mistake and still block or alter the shot.

I get what you're saying but Fred is the wrong example. When he isn't being so taxed on offense he's like 5'11 MJ out there with the doubles and getting his hands on the ball. Fred is a high IQ defender. His and Boucher's defensive contributions aren't even close.

[Wannabe MEP]

I get what you're saying but Fred is the wrong example. When he isn't being so taxed on offense he's like 5'11 MJ out there with the doubles and getting his hands on the ball. Fred is a high IQ defender. His and Boucher's defensive contributions aren't even close.

538 ON/OFF RAPTOR Defense:

Boucher +10.0
FVV +4.0

Yeah, you're right. Not close.

[EH15]

Los Soles will have no narrative to push when Boucher is off the team

[PhilBlackson]

New Bruno?!?

[720]

We’re trading Boucher by the deadline.