Two NBA G League Alums Make History For Raptors
Chris Boucher and Gary Trent Jr. recently stepped up with historic performances for the Raptors, continuing a trend of NBA G League alums finding special success with Toronto.
The Raptors are no strangers to tapping in to the NBA G League for talent and/or utilizing the league as the development tool it can be to elevate their own up and coming prospects.
There’s a certain appreciation with a proven track record for many who have come through the organization. Toronto isn’t afraid to roll the dice. After all, 2011 NBA G League Coach of the Year and two-time champion Nick Nurse earned his first NBA head coaching gig with the club and went on to duplicate both accomplishments (a championship and COY award) with the Raptors. After leading the Raptors 905 to the 2017 G League title, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet were both key contributors to Toronto’s championship victory in 2019 and have since become headlining attractions for the NBA team.
The list goes on and now in 2021, there’s a new wave of minor league alums stepping into the spotlight for the Raptors.
First up is Chris Boucher, who has always embraced the underdog mentality. Recently thrust into a starting role due to Toronto’s various injuries and other players sidelined due to safety protocols, Boucher exploded for a historic performance this past Thursday night. Though his team lost to Chicago, the big man made a splash with a career-high 36 points and 19 rebounds.
Just two nights later, Gary Trent Jr. turned up with a special performance, one adds to continued proof that he was the right trade deadline acquisition for the Raptors. The sharpshooter erupted for a career-high 44 points in Saturday’s win over Cleveland, all while shooting an eye-popping 17 of 19 from the field with 7 three-point field goals made.
Both Boucher and Trent Jr. accomplished historic feats in their outings. Here’s a closer look at what made each so special.
Boucher was just the fifth undrafted player (since 1983) to record 35+ points and 15+ rebounds in a game, joining Moses Malone, Terry Davis, Brad Miller, and Aron Baynes (via StatMuse).
He is the first Raptor to tally 35+ points and 15+ rebounds since Chris Bosh did it in 2010 (via Elias Sports).
Boucher is also the first Canadian in NBA history with 35+ points and 15+ rebounds (via Yahoo Sports Canada).
As for Trent Jr., his 89.5 FG% marked the second-highest field goal percentage for any player with 44+ points in a game during the shot clock era (since 1954-55), trailing only Mike Woodson (48 PTS on 91.7 FG%) in 1983 (via NBA).
He joined Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson as the only players with a 40-point game on 85% shooting since 2010 (via StatMuse).
25 of Trent Jr.’s points came in a historic first half for the Raptors, who scored 87 in the first half on Saturday.
He's the fourth player in NBA history to make at least 10 2-pointers without a miss in a 40-point game (via Basketball Reference).
Trent Jr. finished with a 107.9% effective field goal percentage, the 2nd-highest in a 40-point game in NBA history. Klay Thompson boasted a 110.0% eFG pct in 2019 (via ESPN).
The 22 year old is only the second Raptor (after Chris Bosh scored 40 PTS on 14-16 in 2008) to score 40+ points on 80% shooting or better in a game (via Elias Sports).
There was plenty of foreshadowing to such moments while Trent Jr. and Boucher were making their marks in the NBA G League. Trent Jr. suggested he was truly a walking bucket when he averaged 33.3 points in six games on assignment with the Texas Legends in 2018-19, coached by the legendary Bob MacKinnon Jr. The youngster joined Texas via the Blazers as a flex-assignee. Given the teams’ different cultures, Trent Jr. deserves credit for staying positive in an unfamiliar situation, and MacKinnon and Co. deserve credit for putting him in position to succeed while he was there.
Boucher became the first player in G League history to win the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards during the same season in 2018-19 with the Raptors 905. Similarly, the Canadian was the first international player to earn MVP honors, averaging 27.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks. The big man was well on his way to proving his presence as a physical force and now things are translating at the next level.
Elsewhere in Raptors land, NBA G League alums are shining. Malachi Flynn, who appeared in 6 games in the minor league bubble this season, tallied a career-high 20 points and 11 assists on Saturday. Recent NBA Call-Up Freddie Gillespie had a memorable NBA debut with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. As the only player in the NBA G League this past season to average at least 2 blocks and 1 steal per game (and at least 10 rebounds, to boot), it’s likely Gillespie would have received greater consideration for the DPOY award if he played on a better team. Gillespie’s Memphis Hustle went 6-9.
In any event, the Raptors have never been shy about providing NBA G League alums with a platform to step up and shine. Boucher and Trent Jr. both appear ready to handle more pressure and subsequently bask in the glory that comes from the success that follows. At the same time, look for players like Flynn and Gillespie to continue scratching the surface.
As the likes of Nurse, Siakam, and VanVleet have proven, this process has become part of the Raptors’ culture.