Chris Boucher: Rising Star, Bench Player, or both?

The beginning of the NBA 2021 season has been tough on the Toronto Raptors. The team is facing issues such as a lack of production coming from within their core, a lack of depth on the bench compared to previous years, and mismanagement in the lockdown that took place during off-season. With the departure of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, a gaping hole is left in positions such as center and power forward. However, there’s one bright spot – the new kid, Chris Boucher. At 11 games into the season, he has already demonstrated his ability to be a reliable starter who’s also a shooter. Plus, Boucher has proven to be a consistent defender for the Raptors. Here are Boucher’s stats:

• 14.5 PPG (Points Per Game)
• 6 rebounds per game
• 2.5 BPG (Blocks Per Game)
• 57% in the basket from the field
• 47% in the basket from the 3-pt line
• 22 minutes, off the bench

Not only are these very impressive statistics, but he is managing all of this in twenty-two minutes. This is nothing to sneeze at. So the question is, why does Boucher remain a bench player, instead of being moved into the starting five by coach Nick Nurse? There could be several reasons why Nurse prefers to use this rising star as a secret weapon.

Boucher has been the Raptors’ only consistent contributor when it comes to the second unit. With the depth of the team not being what it was in recent years, the Raptors have been struggling to get production off the bench when they need it. With players like Matt Thomas and Terrence Davis III failing to contribute, Nick Nurse has had no choice but to mix and match, and give new (and old) pickups a chance to show their worth. With the addition of Yuta Watanabe and Stanley Johnson coming off the bench, the defense has been a little more consistent, but it still feels like there’s something missing in the offensive. Kyle Lowry can help the bench players, but he’s only one man. A chemistry is seeming to develop between Boucher and Lowry, similar to the chemistry we saw in the previous season between Lowry and Ibaka. Even though Chris has clearly earned a starting spot, losing the spark that the 28-year-old contributes to this energy-driven team could be detrimental. As of writing this article, Nick Nurse has started Boucher in the second half for the past two games, giving him a chance to play with the starting unit, and still get that energy that #25 brings every time he steps on the floor.

Boucher is tall and lanky, and doesn’t possess much size. He is definitely susceptible to some mismatches with the other bigs in the league. But at the end of the day, it’s all about perception. Boucher may lack size, but this allows him more mobility, speed, efficiency in jumping, and several other positives due to his smaller frame. This can allow him to be the big stretch that this team desperately needs.

When Boucher starts the second half, he is able to get in a consistent flow with the other bench players, as well as against the opposing team’s bench players. This doesn’t mean that Boucher can’t compete with the best, because I believe that he absolutely can and will. Coming off the bench, and being able to get going against lesser players, as well as develop a rhythm, totally changes the game for the team. Boucher has been able to keep high energy for the full 48 minutes, which is key for this squad.

I truly believe that Nick Nurse is playing Chris Boucher the right way, but that doesn’t mean that Boucher shouldn’t start games. The last few games, Boucher has been able to close out games alongside the starters, resulting in brilliance. This is the best of both worlds. The Raptors keep their spark once the starting players go to the bench, and Boucher gets the important minutes that allow him to impact the game and develop into a top big in the NBA.