TORONTO – Chris Boucher’s effort isn’t unpredictable, but his production and decision-making are. It’s unlikely Boucher has remained in Toronto since 2018, when the Raptors signed him to a two-way contract as the last remaining player from the championship era. He’s worked his way in and out of two coaches’ rotations probably a half-dozen times during that span.

Boucher will run things like his job depends on it, because it does. And yet coaches have difficulty relying on him because Boucher disrupts the offense with a quick shot or gets overwhelmed on the defensive screen.

However, when things are going well for Boucher, it’s a hell of a lot of fun – laugh out loud fun. There’s pure joy, for example, when Boucher hits a 3 after some excellent competition from fellow Canadian Andrew Wiggins, doing a backflip while catching contact after the shot. Every Boucher moment from his 17-point, fourth-quarter effort in the Raptors’ 104-101 win over the Golden State Warriors was a version of that.

“Yeah,” Boucher said of his shot over Wiggins. “I shot that to the moon.”

“He won us that game,” Scottie Barnes said of Boucher.

Considering it was win No. 9 for the Raptors, that counts for a lot. Most fans realize that the Raptors will lose most of the time, but to make the locker room bearable, a win or two is important.

😤 pic.twitter.com/v8d3ikzav2

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 14, 2025

Boucher has been on the rise lately and Raptors fans have to be happy with him. He is in the final season of his three-year contract and this will almost certainly be his last in Toronto. He turned 32 on Saturday and the Raptors are rebuilding. From an organizational point of view, it makes no sense to invest more time in it. Whether he gets traded at the deadline or ends the year with the Raptors will likely be the deciding factor.

His recent play could increase the chances of a trade – he’s hit 26 of his last 48 3s in 11 games. The Warriors game was his crowning moment, as he threw down a big dunk in traffic, a delicate layup after a baseline drive and a few big rebounds to help the Raptors win.

BOUCHER with authority 😤‼️ pic.twitter.com/th6t409imF

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 14, 2025

“I think it was important to be patient,” Boucher said. “I think that’s one thing I needed a little more: being patient with the ball and knowing that it’s not just about the shot – that the ball (if you move it) will come back to you.”

Boucher has made similar observations about himself before. He’s put his recording choices into overdrive in front of the microphones, always good for an endearing bit of self-awareness. When Raptors coach Darko Rajaković took over for Nick Nurse last year and preached a ball movement-based offense, it was always difficult for Boucher to get regular minutes.

While the coach had some admiration for Boucher, he couldn’t be trusted to help the team develop basic habits. And yet Boucher always finds his way back into the rotation, whether through injury or strain or simply a crazy series of shots.

“He’s such a professional. He comes to work every day,” Rajaković said. “Brings a lot of energy to our practices. … I’m really happy for him if he plays the way he played tonight.”

Notably, Boucher is the longest-serving Raptor. He began his career with the Warriors but was released after his first year with Golden State. Steve Kerr said before the game that his combination of shooting and shot blocking was intriguing, but the timing wasn’t right for him to continue his development at Golden State. The Raptors had more development time for Boucher, even though they competed at the top end of the NBA like the Warriors.

“It’s kind of amazing,” Kerr said of Boucher, who is still playing for the Raptors seven seasons later.

Yes, it’s kind of amazing. It takes talent and hard work to be rewarded with two multi-year contracts from the same team, but it also takes some luck to stick around the whole time and not get thrown into a bigger job that has nothing to do with you.

It’s a small coincidence, but it gives Raptors fans a bit of organizational continuity as they find a path forward together. Boucher said that during his year with the Warriors he watched the Warriors’ famous core and then in Toronto he watched players like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. Along the way, he’s learned how to stay relevant and viable despite his strange combination of skills.

“I was always trying to shoot a 3 and make some things happen,” Boucher said of playing in low-leverage minutes for the Raptors early in his career. “And I have always maintained this attitude throughout my career. I’m just like, “Okay, it could be two minutes, three minutes, just make a big impact.” I think now, with the work I’ve put in and all that, it’s a little easier. But I did it a long time ago, with no work, with all my energy.”

As he stormed into the Raptors’ locker room, ready to receive a huge ovation from his teammates for his part in the victory, the fruits of that energy were obvious. Chris Boucher deserves this.

(Photo of Chris Boucher driving to the net against the Warriors: John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)