LAS VEGAS \u2014 Ulrich Chomche was standing in the middle of the visitors locker room in Philadelphia\u2019s Wells Fargo Center last February, obviously delighted to have played a role in a Toronto Raptors road win.<\/p>\n
Those were rare enough last year. However, to win in Philadelphia, against his countryman Joel Embiid, soaking up a few possessions guarding the former MVP, had to be cool. Chomche had just two rebounds and a block in 12 minutes, but he played meaningful minutes. He was the subject of a media scrum for his efforts.<\/p>\n
Those were his last minutes of the season. The 57th pick in the 2024 draft suffered a partial proximal ACL tear within the week and lost out on some guaranteed minutes as the Raptors got creative late in the year with their lineups.<\/p>\n
Chomche has already learned to turn the negative into positive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been working on my touch, catching the ball and finishing at the rim,\u201d he said on Sunday at Las Vegas Summer League when asked what he was able to do during his rehab. \u201cI\u2019ve been watching video of Yao (Ming) setting screens.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s paying off. The Raptors gave him a two-year, two-way contract last summer, knowing he would need time to level up from the NBA Academy to the G League, never mind being able to play in the best league in the world. In his second Summer League, Chomche, who boasts a 7-foot-4 wingspan, has looked much better. In his 42 minutes in two wins, the Raptors have outscored their opponents by 29 points. He\u2019s tallied 19 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and two blocks.<\/p>\n
Last year in Summer League, Chomche looked like the uber-raw rookie he was. In his first game action since the injury, he has looked a lot more comfortable. He has played almost exclusively drop coverage, but that makes his enormous frame tough to navigate. His limbs are in passing and driving lanes. He doesn\u2019t automatically try to block everything, sometimes prioritizing maintaining rebounding position. If he can\u2019t grab rebounds, he at least gets a hand on them to give a teammate a chance.<\/p>\n
He is not Jakob Poeltl as a handoff hub or screener, but he is making simple reads. He was strong enough to catch a desperation alley-oop pass from Ja\u2019Kobe Walter in traffic against the Bulls on Friday, drawing a foul. In his second game, he found Walter from the elbow for a layup against the Magic.<\/p>\n
\n.@UlrichChomche14<\/a> IN TRANSITION \ud83d\udcaa pic.twitter.com\/pOFHhQdPFr<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Against the Bulls, he even sealed David Muoka under the net, caught a post pass and turned for a quick hook shot. He blocked Muoka on the other end after a defensive breakdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s learned a lot,\u201d Jonathan Mogbo said of Chomche, who doesn\u2019t turn 20 until the end of the year. \u201cAge is just a number. With him, we try to treat him as a grown man. He\u2019s taking bit by bit everyday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Halfway through his deal, Chomche has a chance to become a player. Here is what else has emerged at Summer League.<\/p>\n
The Raptors will define themselves by their defence<\/p>\n
The following on-court actions got the entire Raptors bench to rise from their seats, clap and sometimes even holler.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Walter leaping about to try to cause a five-second violation on the inbound. The Raptors, by the way, are counting down from five to give the referee some unwanted help.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Colin Castleton and Jamal Shead both hitting the floor for a loose ball.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Alijah Martin causing a Bulls guard to turn twice as he dribbled up past half court.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Shead not letting a Bulls guard get it over the timeline in eight seconds. In that case, Shead turned right for his bench to celebrate with his teammates. An extra Raptor or two might have stepped on the court from the bench. The assistant coaches need to get on that.<\/p>\n
Oh: All that happened in the first quarter of the Raptors\u2019 first game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s my first time getting out with them on the defensive end,\u201d Raptors first-round pick Collin Murray Boyles, who had been dealing with a leg injury, said on Sunday. \u201cI love it. I love the intensity. The energy is contagious and that\u2019s what helps any team.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what I just told a group: some people are born to be models, like me,\u201d Raptors Summer League head coach James Wade added. \u201cSome people are born to be firemen. Some people are born to be policemen. That group in the locker room, they\u2019re born to play defense. So they have to really buy into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
They turned their opponents over 55 times through two games. It seems like they have bought in.<\/p>\n
The bench wing battle will be well contested<\/p>\n
Assuming the Raptors start their five eight-figure players, three of the top options coming off the bench will be shooting guards, more or less: Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick and Walter.<\/p>\n
Injuries will open up opportunities for all of them to play, but it might be a tight squeeze early on. Walter is the least experienced and therefore the Raptors have the most time to decide on him, but he arrived in Vegas looking different \u2014 and it\u2019s not just the departed braids. Darko Rajakovi\u0107 noted that Walter put on \u201c12 pounds of muscle\u201d between the end of the season and now. While all such claims should be met with skepticism, Walter showed some extra functional strength dribbling, and as he rose for layups.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see it, right? He\u2019s come in a little bit stronger, bigger,\u201d Wade said. \u201cBody\u2019s ready to absorb more punishment. Even though he wasn\u2019t as big last year, he played very physical. We saw it. Now, his body is caught up to his game.\u201d<\/p>\n
To that point, Walter hit a short midrange jumper through contact to break a late tie against Orlando. The Raptors didn\u2019t trail again.<\/p>\n
There will likely be room for two but not three of those wings in the rotation. He\u2019s not in the final year of his rookie deal like Agbaji or a former lottery pick like Dick, but Walter has a chance to be the most complete of the three.<\/p>\n
In Toronto or Mississauga, Alijah Martin is going to create highlights<\/p>\n
If Alijah Martin were 6-4 instead of 6-1, he might have been a top-half first-round pick instead of the 39th selection.<\/p>\n
The Raptors took Martin in the second round, surprisingly signing him to a two-way contract instead of a main roster spot. Martin isn\u2019t a true point guard, making his path to a regular spot in the league more difficult.<\/p>\n
He is going to make his way onto some top-10 packages. He might be the most explosive Raptors rookie since Terrence Ross, taken 13 years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cY\u2019all see that dunk, right? OK. Yeah,\u201d Mogbo said Friday.<\/p>\n
He was referring to an absolute crowning of Muoka.<\/p>\n
\nTHE REPLAY EVEN BETTER CHAT. CHILLLLLLLL @martin_alijah<\/a> \ud83d\ude31 https:\/\/t.co\/6dcHbfgpIB<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/a5PEbbvlRZ<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s an explosive player,\u201d Mogbo continued. \u201cHe\u2019s on the rim. He brings a lot to the table: energy, defence, just brings a lot. He\u2019s a little Energizer bunny.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin is either going to go from a solid to a great shooter or add some more ballhandling skills to become a regular. While he tries to figure that out, he will be fun to watch.<\/p>\n
Jonathan Mogbo won\u2019t hand over his rotation spot without a fight<\/p>\n
If one Raptor looked too good for Summer League early on, it was Jonathan Mogbo. The 2024 second-round pick went 7 of 8 from the field against the Bulls, and then helped the Raptors shake off a dicey start against the Magic, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds.<\/p>\n
When the Raptors took Murray-Boyles with the ninth pick last month, Mogbo seemed like the natural man out. How many non-shooting non-centres can a team play? Mogbo\u2019s agility and ability in transition, however, could keep him on the court while Murray-Boyles acclimates.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like it\u2019s a challenge for me, guarding the best players out there,\u201d Mogbo said. \u201cI\u2019m not backing off from any challenge. So whoever it is, I\u2019m ready to guard, ready to play, fear nobody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murray-Boyles missed the Raptors\u2019 first game because of an adductor strain. He played against the Magic, a shaky first outing. He had a nice stint in the third quarter with a block on one end and a putback dunk on the other.<\/p>\n
\n#9 pick Collin Murray-Boyles is making PLAYS on both ends for the @Raptors<\/a> \ud83d\ude4c#NBA2KSummerLeague<\/a> on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com\/fuJ5qhYC07<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 NBA (@NBA) July 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
(Photo: Stacy Revere \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n