"When Toronto was awarded an NBA franchise in 1994 and it chose the team name, "Raptors," the initial public reaction included plenty of mockery. But kids like dinosaurs, and Jurassic Park had just been released in 1993, so the jerseys sold well. The kitsch factor perhaps overshadowed the silliness of a name that truly had nothing to do with the city of Toronto."
"He entered the league somewhat overmatched. (As do virtually all rookies.) But that unfamiliarity with the league and its nuances showed in a variety of ways, especially on the glass. He averaged 2.5 rebounds per game for his first four contests, including a showing with zilch in the defensive rebounding column in the first game of his career. Murray-Boyles' transcendent hands - Magneto, if Es Baraheni has his way - didn't manifest in much."
"At the same time - and this is the parallel of the Raptors' kitsch factor still resulting in jersey sales - Murray-Boyles' unexpected hot shooting streak overshadowed his struggles. He came into the league bombing away from deep. And not just in the corners, but from above the break, too. He shot 9-of-39 from deep in two seasons in college, good for 23.1 percent."
Toronto's NBA franchise adopted the name Raptors in 1994 amid mockery, but dinosaur popularity and Jurassic Park drove jersey sales and cemented the name locally. Collin Murray-Boyles entered the NBA somewhat overmatched and showed particular difficulty on the glass, averaging 2.5 rebounds in his first four games and recording zero defensive rebounds in his first outing. Coaching staff believed he was a good rebounder in college but noted that college rebounding techniques did not translate immediately to the NBA. Simultaneously, Murray-Boyles produced an unexpected hot shooting stretch from deep, outperforming his 23.1 percent college mark.
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