Toronto rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles practiced Tuesday for the first time since spraining his left thumb, an injury that has sidelined him for the past eight games. The Raptors will monitor how the thumb responds before deciding on his availability for Wednesday’s matchup in Chicago, head coach Darko Rajaković told reporters.
Rajaković added that, even if Murray-Boyles is held out against the Bulls, the 6-7 forward is expected to rejoin the lineup at some point during the club’s five-game road trip that starts Wednesday and concludes next Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Before the setback, Murray-Boyles had carved out a significant role, starting 18 of his last 19 contests while averaging 9.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 27.7 minutes. He shot 60.3 percent from the field over that span.
In other Atlantic Division notes:
Raptors’ identity check: Eric Koreen of The Athletic wonders if this season’s Raptors mirror last year’s Pistons—a gritty, low-octane offense that still exceeded expectations, snapped a playoff drought, and pushed a higher seed in the first round.
Nets’ rebuild roadmap: Brian Lewis of the New York Post lists five factors that will shape Brooklyn’s acceleration: rookie development, draft-lottery position, postseason outcome, potential star availability, and the course of free agency.
Knicks’ lineup questions: In a mailbag for SNY.tv, Ian Begley explains why head coach Mike Brown remains hesitant to shuffle a struggling starting five. Begley also notes that forward Mikal Bridges has anchored New York’s recent defensive surge even as his scoring has dipped.
Sixers’ youth movement: With Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George sidelined, Philadelphia has claimed three wins in its last four games behind young contributors VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Justin Edwards. Edgecombe, serving as the primary scorer, logged 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting Saturday against Brooklyn and said being double-teamed was a first in his career: “I guess I just have to go back and look at the film.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
