When discussing Kenny Boynton, fans and onlookers only seem to care about one thing: Is he hot, or is he cold?
But boiling his value down to that single question is a mistake, one that neglects everything Boynton does as a distributor, playmaker, defender and rebounder. Instead of rightfully labeling Boynton the frontrunner for Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, critics deem him a “streaky shooter” and call it a day.
Yes, Boynton’s streakiness is tough to deny. He made only seven threes in six games before pouring in eight against Yale on Jan. 6. But those who think Boynton is having a poor season shooting the ball need to adjust their expectations.
Boynton has hit 35.5 percent of his threes this season. The national average entering play on Wednesday was 33.6 percent.
Aside from the first half of 2011-12 — an 18-game sample over which Boynton shot an uncanny 45.8 percent from three — he’s a career 32.4 percent three-point shooter. That’s just about who he is. With good shot selection — a facet of Boynton’s game that has pleased coach Billy Donovan in recent weeks — maybe the true number is closer to 35 percent.
Regardless, what makes Boynton so effective offensively is his ability to score multiple ways. With each season, Boynton’s ability to drive and finish at the rim has improved.
He’s accumulated 1,782 points, a mark that trails Ronnie Williams’ UF career record by 308. Assuming 16 regular season games plus another six between the SEC and NCAA tournaments (anything less would be a disappointment), Boynton can match that record with 14 points per game.
He’s averaged 13.8 per game this season, so it’ll be close.
All too often, this is where the discussion of Boynton ends. Shooting and scoring. Shooting and scoring.
In reality, there’s much more to his game.
After three years playing alongside Erving Walker, Boynton has become UF’s point guard.
Junior Scottie Wilbekin has taken on many of the distribution and ball-handling responsibilities, but coach Billy Donovan still shouts for “Junior” when he wants to relay a message to the offense.
Although Boynton takes a few ill-advised threes, his focus on getting the best possible shot has improved. He knows when to attack in transition, and he knows when things need to be slowed down. He knows when to run clock to protect a lead, when to settle the offense to kill off an opponent’s run and even how to take advantage of the extra possession in end-of-half situations.
Even with the added responsibility, he’s still turned the ball over less frequently than every Gator except Erik Murphy, and those two have a significant lead on the field.
While Boynton’s praise as a defensive stopper has dwindled from the heights it reached during his sophomore year, he is still a great on-ball defender who practically never fouls.
With Brad Beal gone to the NBA, Boynton has increased his defensive rebound rate by nearly 54 percent from last season. His mark of 3.9 rebounds per game is just .6 fewer than Erik Murphy’s 4.5 obvious math.
All little things, but all valuable. And all signs of a veteran leader with nine NCAA Tournament games under his belt who deserves to be the favorite for SEC Player of the Year.
The award has been handed out 22 times in my lifetime (since 1991), and 15 times it has gone to a player from the conference’s regular-season champion.
The season is still very young, but nobody in the SEC is putting up big enough numbers to buck that trend. And with Florida the prohibitive favorite to take the title — top contenders Kentucky and Missouri have already lost — Boynton has an excellent shot to claim the award in 2013.
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org.
Senior Kenny Boynton defends Georgia guard Vincent Williams during Florida’s 77-44 win on Jan. 9 in the O’Connell Center. UF’s defense will be tasked with stopping Texas A&M’s Elston Turner tonight at 7.
