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With every season, Raptors’ Boucher continues to improve his game

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The final time Chris Boucher stepped on a courtroom in Toronto in entrance of followers, he was a 13-minute an evening man simply making an attempt to scrounge no matter taking part in time he might.

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That was earlier than the season was stopped quick by the pandemic and earlier than he began to seek out his approach within the Bubble in Orlando.

Within the 12 months that adopted, this time all of it in Tampa, Boucher made the sort of strides that flip respectable careers into prolonged careers.

The Montreal raised Boucher who heads into his fourth 12 months with the Raptors added loads of muscle to his lean body going into the Bubble after which added loads of recreation and loads of minutes to what had been a lean physique of labor.

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He returns tied for the fourth longest Raptors’ tenure on the roster behind OG Anunoby who’s behind each Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. Goran Dragic is in his first 12 months with the Raptors however has 14 years within the league general.

Boucher returns having moved from fringe, finish of the bench minutes chaser, to a man who’s a central a part of what the Raptors will accomplish this 12 months and transferring ahead.

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Whether or not that’s as a beginning energy ahead filling in for the injured Pascal Siakam to begin the 12 months or a veteran presence on that second unit or some form of combined function at energy ahead and centre, Boucher’s inventory has risen to the purpose the place chasing minutes won’t ever be a priority once more.

With that and together with his newfound veteran standing, on an admitted younger crew, comes a way of belonging and possession to the entire thing and Boucher could be very a lot leaning into that.

That turns into instantly obvious when he’s requested about his focus going into this 12 months.

“No, my precedence is on defence,’ Boucher mentioned sounding very veteran-like. “I feel I might do lots of issues on defence. You already know, I can rebound, I can push the ball, I can get some deflections, block pictures. And I really feel like since, , this 12 months we acquired an period the place we wish to swap every little thing, we wish to be disruptive. That is what I acquired to concentrate on essentially the most. I really feel like scoring is in me. I sort of discover methods to attain more often than not. However on a defensive finish, that’s the place I acquired to focus extra.”

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A 12 months in the past from the earlier season, Boucher added over 10 minutes of run an evening to his every day workload, shot over 50% from the sphere and simply higher than 38% from three. Enhancing these numbers could not the precedence, however that too shall be a aim.

“I’m making an attempt to be above 40%,” Boucher mentioned when requested about his three-point taking pictures. “Like I mentioned, for half of (final) 12 months I used to be at like 45%. So, I feel the one factor that’s gonna assist me higher is I’m higher in a position to deal with it and every little thing, so it’s in all probability going to restrict the contested pictures that I took final 12 months.

“I feel that’s what dropped my quantity,” he mentioned. “I acquired to a degree the place I used to be set off blissful once more. And like I mentioned, now it’s extra about studying, clearly I’ve my open pictures and so they’re going to shut out a little bit bit higher. And it’s nearly making the learn now and I’m getting higher yearly so this 12 months you’re gonna see one thing completely different once more.”

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Head coach Nick Nurse got here to rely closely on Boucher in one of many harder years in current Raptors historical past final season in Tampa, however he sees room for extra development and extra improvement this season.

And identical to Boucher, Nurse is focussed on the Montreal native’s defensive potential. Boucher will be and was sensational at instances defensively a 12 months in the past. Nurse simply needs him to be a little bit extra constant together with his defensive execution.

“I’d sort of like him to not be a lot all or nothing on the defensive finish, if that makes any sense,” Nurse mentioned Tuesday. “He’s gonna make these humongous blocks and steals and I’d like them to be all are strong. Much less simply taking part in protection and getting in there and making the fitting rotations and blocking his man out, not essentially getting the rebound however simply sort of proceed to take these swings on the blocked pictures, to proceed to select off these threes that he blocks, getting within the passing lanes a little bit bit as a result of that’s simply sort of an knack that he has, however then once more persevering with to develop and understanding simply strong defence and rotations and coverages.”

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The Tampa expertise had extra downs than ups for many of the Raptors, however the argument will be made that Boucher made extra progress in his recreation and in his stature with the crew than every other Raptor a 12 months in the past.

Now he and the crew are residence once more and Boucher sounds intent on choosing up proper the place he left off.

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BANTON IS MR. POPULAR

Rookie Dalano Banton has been taking part in a little bit little bit of tour information for lots of the Raptors which might be nonetheless new to this metropolis.

A Rexdale native, Banton was the Raptors’ second-round choose on this previous 12 months’s draft and is getting his first style of coaching camp in some very acquainted environment. He’s probably headed for a job with the G-League 905, no less than to begin, however is already making an impression with teammates and coaches alike.

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Banton’s face lit up when he was requested a couple of younger buddy, Yossire Salhia, who has performed such an essential function in his journey to the NBA and who was with him on draft evening.

“Talking about him, he’s simply somebody I can’t be extra grateful in the direction of,” Banton mentioned. “I really feel like simply having anyone rising up within the neighbourhood that I grew up in, you want anyone to assist maintain you on observe. I really feel like he was that individual. He would convey me to the gymnasium, he would name me, inform me to return right here, come there, no matter he can to maintain me from doing one thing that I wasn’t speculated to do.”

“Having individuals like that in your nook, having the ability to be blessed with him, is one thing that I want lots of people acquired to have and simply have that steering the place anyone can maintain you on observe as a result of I really feel like if lots of children had that rising up, then they wouldn’t be within the place they’re in (now).”

— Mike Ganter

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