Boucher gets more playing time for Raptors

The veteran forward spent the majority of last season on the far end of the Toronto Raptors' bench, seeing limited playing time. Despite the team facing numerous injuries, Boucher averaged just 14.1 minutes over 50 games, marking his lowest statistics in both categories since the 2019-20 season.

However, Boucher was the first Raptor to be substituted into the game during Toronto's 136-106 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. He ended the game with a team-high 18 points and made four of five three-point attempts.

“Everybody wants to be on the floor, and last season was a little bit harder for me to find minutes,” said Boucher, who grew up in Montreal. “But I can’t stop. The goal is to get better, and the plan is to help this team. Right now, that’s all I’m trying to do. I’m trying to be more effective and find ways to impact the game.”

In his limited playing time last season, Boucher averaged 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks, all below his career averages of 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and one block per game.

The relatively undersized Raptors will rely on his six-foot-nine frame this season, particularly with backup center Kelly Olynyk (back) from Kamloops, B.C., sidelined to start the campaign. Six-foot-five Ochai Agbaji began at forward for Toronto on Wednesday.

“You just keep believing that it’s going to get better,” Boucher said. “At this point, every time I’ve been with the Raptors, it’s been a lot of injuries that come and go. Hopefully, it’s just a couple of bruises, and we come back here as a full team.”

During team introductions before the home opener, Boucher received one of the loudest ovations from the sold-out crowd at Scotiabank Arena. As the last remaining member of Toronto’s 2019 championship team, he continues to be a fan favorite.

All-star forward Scottie Barnes expressed his appreciation for Boucher’s attitude following the 2023-24 season, where he was not a regular in head coach Darko Rajakovic’s rotation.

“No matter what, he’s going to keep his head up, man,” said Barnes. “He’s going to go out there and play as hard as he can. That’s what he does. He changes games. So when he gets in the game, he’s going to change the game in some way, and he’s going to give it his all.”

Boucher mentioned that he worked hard during the off-season to regain Rajakovic's trust and develop a bond with his teammates.

“I’ve played a lot of basketball with these guys this summer, especially with Scottie. I think this summer is really helping us jell together,” he said. “We had good moments (tonight), and I think we just have to keep it going.”