Chris Boucher believes the Raptors will 'get on a roll'

Raptors forward Chris Boucher discusses the losses vs. the Magic, team shooting woes, trade rumours and the mood around the squad.

Video Transcript

- --game under .500. How does this compare? Did you guys feel similar or different from where you were on your last trip?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, if I see the way we should see it, I feel like we had a lot of injury. A lot of people were sick and going through stuff. So we never really had the full team. I think that will help when we get everything back and, like, how we get a rhythm and all that. So you know, obviously, we lost some games that we would have won. But I think we're gonna figure it out. And when we get on the road, nobody will be talking about those two games that we lost in Orlando.

- Does this feel like it gives you a roadmap? You can just look back last year and you guys played one of the best teams in the league.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Kind of. But it's also-- it just proves to us that we gotta be better. Honestly, we are a good team. And just losing to the team back to back, sometime it just gonna makes us realize how hard we got to work, and we can't take position off. And I think a lot of us just have to look yourself in the mirror and see what we gotta do to help the team.

- Everybody says the shooting's slowing down. Someone has to shoot it up, and it's like, sometimes they go in. Sometimes they don't go in. And that's just how it goes. But right now it feel like a lot of slumps within one team. Have you been around something like this where, especially from 3 where it's been really difficult to find anybody?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, I'm part of it, so I don't know.

- Yeah. No, everyone's part of it though.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I'm part of it. I'm not gonna talk about everybody else. But I think it's just something that you just gotta work on and keep working out and keep getting shots up and change some techniques sometimes. At this point, it's a team thing right now. We're not shooting well as a team. And we got great shooters on this team, so I think it's just something about getting back on rhythm.

And when you see one going in, maybe it helps out. That's what it did to me last year, just focusing on making one at a time. And I think we all got to focus like that. You guys saw Fred could shoot. Gary could shoot. Scottie got his shot better-- Pascal, OG. So it goes all around. I think, with time and putting the work in, it's gonna get better.

- How would you describe the mood of the team right now, of the group?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I'm good. As a team, I think we all have, like, going to ups and downs, which is part of the long season. But I don't think everybody is too hard on them self. Obviously, we don't like losing, and the energy is not the same when you're winning. But I don't think it's a negative energy. I don't anybody is going at each other for the wrong reason. So that's gonna help us in the long run. We've been through that before. And especially the core of this team, when we went to Tampa and all that, we had the harder season than where we're going right now.

- Chris, historically you guys have been a pretty good road team. Any explanation why that hasn't been the case so far this season?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I think it's the same reasons as I said before. We missed a lot of players. We've been through a lot of injuries and all that. We're still trying to figure it out, everybody's role and everybody's-- how to play with each other and all. So I think that is one of the reasons. But like I said, we're not on a good-- we're not in a good flow right now.

So at home or away, I think we're gonna struggle if we're not figuring that out. So we're getting better at it. I think we're-- today, we got a tough practice. And that's a good thing, having practice just to play with your teammates and figuring out what we do best and how to get better.

- Last year, you were a guy whose name came up in trade rumors. I think at one point you thought you were probably getting traded. We're getting still a little far away from that time with December 15 as the start of things. What's that like to hear your name popping up, whether it's true or not true, whatever?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, at this point with the season the way that it's been going and with the stuff that I'm trying to do and the player I'm trying to become, I can't really focus too much on that. I used to be stressed a lot about it and all. But I just want to-- I want to be the best player I can be. And wherever I'm at, this is what I'm gonna do. And if I focus on myself, I'm pretty sure they like what I'm doing and all that. But if it ends up that I have to do it somewhere else, then it is what it is. To me, it's--

- Not specifically about you, just in general.

CHRIS BOUCHER: No, I'm just saying, I have to talk about myself. Because if I go and talk about how people feel then I'll just be lying to you. Like, I don't know how Christian would feel or how Achiuwa or whoever it is. I don't know how they gonna feel. I just know that this is how I deal with. And I think usually it's the best way.

Because you don't know what's gonna happen. People get traded. I was there when JV and all them disappeared at one time. So you just never know. And the best thing to do is just to focus on yourself trying to play better, help the team in whatever you can do. And whatever happens, happens.

- Chris, when you guys were [INAUDIBLE] with your losses, are you on of the guys in the locker room that [INAUDIBLE], bring up the topic of [INAUDIBLE]?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, to be honest with you, we all like-- I don't think that we're down that bad where we have to bring each other in the gym. Like, we're all joking around and all that. Obviously, we don't like losing and all that. So it's hard. It's not as fun as usual. But I feel like the guys like me-- Precious, OG, Scottie-- we always joke around and all that.

So as long as that don't stop, and we're still having fun with each other and all that, I think we can figure it out. And that's what's good about this team is that nobody's at the point now where it's just talking bad about each other and all.