Raptors' Chris Boucher on Team Canada, no longer 'jacking' shots

Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher discusses the season, why the team struggled to click, what he enjoys about podcasting, playing for Team Canada and more.

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- Chris, how come you dropped the headband last night?

CHRIS BOUCHER: Hmm?

- How come you dropped the headband last night?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I was on-- trying to be like Ben Wallace, so-- My mom was like, I don't think you go to the game with your hair like this. And I was like, oh? Dare me. And I did.

[LAUGHTER]

- Did you hear DeMar DeRozan's daughter screaming? People are asking about that today.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Mm-mm. I saw her before the game, but I didn't hear her scream. I mean, I was watching the game. But, I mean, she went viral. So after the game, you know, when you watch the clip, you're like, oh, that was her the whole time? I wasn't really sure if it was her or not.

- You-- Chris, I mean, this time last year, you kind of-- you signed, certainly, a contract and all that kind of stuff. And, you know, you seemed to really kind of embrace everything about going [INAUDIBLE]

CHRIS BOUCHER: Mm-hmm.

- So what [? did ?] you [INAUDIBLE] were you trying-- so were you trying [INAUDIBLE], or were you kind of recognizing this is something I can excel at, just doing this?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, like I said, I'm always trying to get better. Obviously, I have a good team around me that, you know, make me watch film, and try to get better every game, and see where we could do better. But I mean, at the of the day, whatever the team asks me to do is really what I could do.

I focus on the little things, obviously, and try to get better, you know, personally, and as a person, as a teammate, as a, you know, shotmaker, playmaker, whatever, you know, needed. I think that was, you know, the plan of this year, through the ups and downs.

And you know, [? too, ?] the change of the team-- you know, having Jakob coming in, and guys leaving and coming in. You know, you're always trying to get better, and figure it out what you could do, and how you could expand your role, and not get too hype over, you know, one good game or whatever.

- From a team perspective, I mean, so much of the roster being the same from last year to this year, do you have a good feel for why it just didn't connect the same way it connected last year?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, at the end of the day, I don't feel like it was like last year. I mean, we dealt with a lot of injuries. We obviously-- you know, guys are coming in. Jakob came in. At the end of the day, that was a change.

But I feel like if you look at the season, we started a little bit rough. Pascal got hurt. Then after that, you know, Precious was hurt. So you know, you see there's a lot of change-- you know, different guys playing. Christian plays. You know, obviously, I think he did a really good job this year.

But it's-- like I said, it's a lot of change, a lot of different-- you know, different schemes, different minutes, different-- hey, a lot of different things change. And you just got to adjust to it. And I feel like we-- when we finally started finding a groove, well, at the end, after All-Star, it was a little too late.

- Do you think that's what was lacking, was some continuity this year?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, I feel like at the end of the day, as a basketball player, you'll always feel better, you'll all play better when you kind of know what's going on in every game. And when you come into a setup, for example, if you know that you're going to be a starter, your shot selection and all that are always the same. And if you come to the game like that for 82 games, obviously, you could build a lot of the consistency and all.

But it's the NBA. Obviously, every team deal with it. Every team has guys coming off the bench. I got to figure it out, ways to impact the game.

And we all know that we ain't gonna have all 20, 15 shots overnight, you know? A lot of different things are asked for guys off the bench-- be a rebounder, you know, a defensive player, and all that. And that's what you got to focus on.

And it's ups and down. And you just got to figure it out. And that's what makes good bench players. These guys are able to adapt to that.

- By the end of the season, it felt like you just sort of found that comfort level. Did you find it with your shot selection?

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah, I mean, I just stopped jacking. And I just felt like, at the end of the day, like, it wasn't then giving me anything. I do wanted my percentage to go higher. And when you taking a contested shot and all that, your percentage go down.

So I just wanted to make the right play. I also felt like the player that I was becoming change a lot, guarding different guys, you know, just being on different position, different reaction of, you know, closeouts and all. So I feel like that helped me out a lot better for making my shot selection a lot better this year.

- For you, [? with ?] that energy, is that always going to be the constant?

CHRIS BOUCHER: Oh, that's not gonna change. I mean, that's just day in, day out for me. If there's one thing that it's always gonna be there, it's [? gonna be my ?] energy. And the one day-- the one day that I won't be able to do that, then I won't be playing no more.

- You've been hosting a podcast for some time and participating in media. What's been your favorite thing or perhaps most eye-opening thing about doing something like that?

CHRIS BOUCHER: Your guys' reactions.

[LAUGHTER]

Think that was the best. I think, just-- I mean, obviously, as-- you know, when you do a podcast, I'm kind of entering your world now, you know? I'm becoming one of you guys. When we talk about the players or the team, I'm doing media now.

And it's funny to see how people will take your perspective or takes your reaction or opinion different ways. And some people agree, some people don't. And we do the same thing with you guys when you guys say something.

So it's funny to see on the other side, really. I think that's the favorite thing about your job. I kind of understand you guys are a lot better.

[BEEPING SOUND]

- Ooh!

- Sorry.

- [INAUDIBLE]

[GIGGLING]

- Going back to what you said about energy, but this season, you were third in the league in double-doubles off the bench.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Mm-hmm.

- Do you feel like sometimes, like, just having a variety, maybe like a skill set that goes over everything gets confused for just being considered just something kind of-- energy or something a little bit more generic like that?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, I do see myself more than that. But at the end of the day, I do understand my role, too. So that's pretty much what it is.

I mean, I feel like I could do a lot of different things. But if my role is to bring energy, then this is what I got to do. And through the years, I understood that you know, complaining and be mad at stuff that you-- that's out of your control, it's not gonna make me better.

So focus on what I'm asked for, and sometimes, showed a couple flashes [? and went ?] in there of what I could do, and just keep it moving.

- There have been a few times in your career where Nick has been publicly critical of your play.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Mm-hmm.

- I think once, he was-- made a comment about Precious earlier this year. What's it like having a coach who will publicly make comments? And how are those things received, those comments received?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I'm used to it now, so-- I mean, [? when ?] I'm watching [? it, ?] [? it's-- ?] you're just trying to get better, I guess. Obviously, you know it's coming.

You know, I watch a lot of film. So if it's something that I really feel like I can work on, and he put it out there, then obviously, double up the work on it because no player wants to be in the media by the coach saying that he's not doing something right. So I think it helps, for sure.

But at the end of the day, a lot of work has to be made by yourself, even though if he said something or didn't say something. If I'm not doing something right, it's something that you got to fix internally. And that's usually what I do anyway.

- What's the difference between a coach coming and just saying it to you in here privately versus at a certain point, making that comment to us?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I don't know. I mean, I feel like it depends on what kind of player you are. If you're a guy that's in the media and all that, saying it publicly probably going to affect you a lot more because you see it. But I mean, at the end of the day-- like, for example, somebody like OG, you could say it in the media. He doesn't use the media. He'll never know. So it doesn't really matter. It depends on who is being talked to and who cares about the media as much as anybody.

I feel like me, it doesn't matter. Like, I'm going to see it, but it's not going to change my day, you know? Like, I'm going to get better at it, but I'm not going to be thinking about it all day, I'll tell you right now.

- When it comes to those public comments, Nick made some in Philly about his potential future [? with ?] the team, [? which ?] [? was ?] everywhere. How much was that kind of brought up to in your circle? Are people trying to bring it up to you?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I didn't really pay no focus on it, to be honest with you. That's his thing. That is something that he had to deal with.

I feel like when they were last year talking about trading deadlines and all that, I was the talk about then. So we all dealt with it every year. So yeah, I had a lot of stuff to focus on already that I was not going to add anything else on it.

- OK, when you're looking at this year, there's a kind of, like, that six-week period around [? December, ?] after the trade deadline, [? for ?] [? sure-- ?] like, Masai after the trade deadline said selfishness had been an issue, and--

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah.

- How much was that addressed to you and the team? And why do you think that selfishness, so to speak, whatever that means, was a factor in how you guys played this year?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, I think it's more guys trying to figure it out. I think that's-- when you lose, obviously, everything seems to be so bad, you know? Obviously, you take 10 shots. Now, it's like he doesn't want to pass the ball or whatever.

I never really paid any attention to that because I mean, I felt like I came in to work hard every time. I tried to do the right play and do what I have to do. So clearly, it's-- obviously, when we were down and losing games, they were saying everything, so selfishness was one of them.

But for me, I didn't feel like-- I didn't feel like that was something that I was pay attention [? into. ?] I was just trying to win games and try to get better.

And I mean, for the guys on the bench, it's so hard to focus on everything else when obviously, every time they hear the bench got to do better, the bench got to do better, that's all you focus on. You don't care about anything else, really.

- Chris, I noticed you [? rescinded, ?] but do you want to play for Canada this summer?

CHRIS BOUCHER: Do I want to play for Canada this summer? I mean, I would if they ask me.

- So you haven't had any talks with Rowan or anything like that so far?

CHRIS BOUCHER: Mm-mm.

- OK, [? but ?] if they were open to it, you were gonna--

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah.

- [? --happen, ?] [? try to get a ?] spot there?

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah.

- This year, [INAUDIBLE] Canada, are you seeing-- do you feel that especially this summer, you are going to have the best chance to [? get ?] a medal with the US [? formidable-- ?] is the team that you will-- maybe will [INAUDIBLE]?

CHRIS BOUCHER: Hold on, what?

- Yeah, do you feel that especially this summer, with that team, you-- this is the best moment to [? get ?] a medal, to get-- [? perform ?] in the [? World ?] [? Cup? ?]

CHRIS BOUCHER: I'm not sure what you're asking, my friend. You're saying that this team--

- Yes, [? if ?] [? work ?] [? out, ?] you think--

CHRIS BOUCHER: Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, for sure. Obviously, we got a lot of-- we got a lot of good players, a lot of good-- I was watching Shai yesterday. And he's amazing. Like, it's amazing to watch him play basketball. And that's just one of the guys that we have.

We played [? Nembhard ?] when he came here. A lot of Canadians that are-- I mean, most Canadians that [? can't even ?] play here, like, you just saw how talented they are. And it would be nice to see all of them together, obviously.

I think that would be a good chance for us. We got a good chance to be special this year, for sure.

- We have a couple in French.

- [SPEAKING FRENCH]

CHRIS BOUCHER: [SPEAKING FRENCH]

- [SPEAKING FRENCH]

CHRIS BOUCHER: [SPEAKING FRENCH]

- [SPEAKING FRENCH]

CHRIS BOUCHER: [SPEAKING FRENCH]

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Thank you, Chris.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah.

- --Chris. Thank you.

[CHATTER]