THEY SAY defence wins championships, and South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles‘ versatility on this end of the floor increases his value ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft in June.

Although he is the rare case in the modern game of a player that lacks a jumpshot, Murray-Boyles can still impact offensively as a physical finisher at the basket, and improved his face-up scoring this season, taking his opponents to the paint off the dribble and finishing with his sheer strength.

Defensively, he can guard all five positions, and can initiate opposition turnovers with his active hands consistently swiping the ball away from someone else’s grasp. He is an extremely gifted one-on-one player on both ends of the floor and will add plenty of value at the top level.

For South Carolina last season, he averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game on 58 per cent shooting from the field, consistently having an impact on both sides of the floor.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will run through some of the clearest comparisons to already established NBA talents, with Murray-Boyles looking extremely similar to some of the most impactful forwards of the last 15 years.

Julius Randle – Minnesota Timberwolves

Although he has now developed much more of a jumpshot, Randle’s game when he entered the competition was quite similar to Murray-Boyles’, particularly on the offensive end. Upon entering the NBA, it took a while for Randle to find his feet, playing at the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans before emerging as a star of the game when he joined the New York Knicks. He won the Most Improved Award in 2021, and has been a three-time All Star. Both Randle and Murray-Boyles are physical forwards who can play above their height at the center position if needed, and are much more versatile and impressive playmakers than many players in the frontcourt. Murray-Boyles will be looking to follow Randle’s path and improve his jumpshot once he enters the league in order to become a much more balanced player on the offensive end.

Draymond Green – Golden State Warriors

Although one of the most polarising players in the NBA, there is no denying Green’s impact, particularly on the defensive end, where he is regarded as one of the best in the business. A key part of the Warriors’ dynasty, Green has been one of the best defenders the NBA has ever seen, with his ability to guard all five positions crucial to Golden State’s success. Although this is a big reputation for Murray-Boyles to live up to, he possesses many of the defensive traits that made Green such a big contributor and eventually an eight-time All-Defensive Team member. Like Murray-Boyles, Green is also a skilled secondary playmaker, so there is plenty the pair have in common, with the youngster likely hoping to follow the same career trajectory.

Paul Millsap – Atlanta Hawks

One of the best ‘glue guys’ of the modern era, Millsap etched out a 16-year career in the NBA and was one of the most reliable power forwards in the competition during his time in the league. After starting his career with the Utah Jazz, he was a member of a seriously talented Atlanta Hawks squad, where he was named a four-time All-Star for his efforts there. He then headed to the Denver Nuggets, before ending his career after stints in Brooklyn and Philadelphia. An impressive defender, Millsap contributed to plenty of winning teams throughout his career, although the ultimate prize evaded him, while his offence began to equal those efforts down the other end. Although Millsap had more a shooting presence than Murray-Boyles, the players look quite similar when scoring close to the basket and defending multiple positions.