Raptors Have One Rotation Adjustment to Consider After Bucks Win

Collin Murray-Boyles and Jakob Poeltl helped Toronto dominate Milwaukee defensively when sharing the floor, giving Darko Rajaković an intriguing lineup option.

Nov 6, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (30) dunks in the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Toronto Raptors may have found a frontcourt pairing that is worth exploring more. Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles were both productive in Toronto's win against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, their individual performances were not as impressive as what they were able to accomplish together in the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes.

The Raptors were a significantly better team when both Poeltl and Murray-Boyles were on the floor at the same time. In the twelve minutes that the two shared the floor together in the second half, the Raptors scoring differential was +18. Additionally, Myles Turner, Jericho Sims, and Kel'el Ware went 2-14 from the field across their combined 44 minutes of play.

Poeltl and Murray-Boyles Gives Toronto a Defensive Advantage

Nov 6, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Tyler Herro (11) battles for a rebound against Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (30) and center Jakob Poeltl (19) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The two players have very different play styles, but Friday night gave a glimpse into their ability to compliment each other.

At 7'0 tall, Poeltl plays the role of a traditional rim protector, and give Toronto an interior presence for when the opponent is attacking the paint aggressively. Murray-Boyles is more mobile on the defensive end of the floor, in ways that a traditional centre might not be.

This is a very small sample size of the duo, and it is important not to jump to conclusions after one matchup. But it is hard to ignore how well the Raptors team geled on the court with two defensive anchors in the paint.

Darko Should Explore More Minutes With the Pairing

Toronto almost certainly will not start Poeltl and Murray-Boyles together once Leonard and Barnes are back in the fold. However, now is the time to experiment with different combinations, and figure out ways to get Poeltl and Murray-Boyles on the floor together.

The Raptors have been forced to experiment with different roster combinations through their first nine games of the season, probably a bit more than they would have liked to at this point. Despite that, they might have struck gold with this new dynamic duo.

It is also important to note that Poeltl and Murray-Boyles scored 19 points each against Milwaukee, while shooting just under 62 per cent from the field combined. That is a level of efficiency that will win the Raptors games around Barnes and Leonard, once they are both healthy of course.

Their level of play together will give Coach Darko something to think about at the very least as they try and navigate the coming weeks with their growing list of injuries.

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