While he expected to leave the Raptors during the trade deadline, Chris Boucher was ultimately not exchanged. Except that in the process, he had a series of “DNPs”, finding himself out of Toronto’s rotation…
But Jakob Poeltl's injury changed Darko Rajakovic's plans, and revived the native of Saint Lucia.
“If you know me, you know I don’t stay angry for very long”explained Chris Boucher at SportNet. “If I'm angry about something, it's either because of my performance or because I know I can do better. It's always the same: my emotions push me, but they can also make me dive, but I still have this passion to play hard. Ultimately, it's the only thing I know how to do. »
At 31 years old, and while he still has one year of contract ($10.8 million) for next season, Chris Boucher can still talk with his coach, who encourages him and remains very demanding of him.
“I expect more from him. More rebounds, more communication on defense » detailed Darko Rajakovic after the match against the Suns. “As a veteran, he has to know what our defensive scheme is and how we have to execute it, so we need even more discipline from him.”
After his 11 points and 9 rebounds in 23 minutes against Phoenix, Chris Boucher followed up with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in 31 minutes against the Blazers. And the tap that sent both teams into overtime.
“I've been doing this for a long time. I've been doing this for eight or ten years, and I know myself, so I was just waiting for the opportunity.”he could thus conclude. “It’s not like I haven’t been ready all year. It just has to do with how the team was formed and shaped. I know I still have energy in me, and I know that at any moment I can come into a match and change it. »
