For two hours in Lexington, the Florida Gators took on the Kentucky Wildcats in an intense back-and-forth game of basketball. There were lead changes, big runs, shot-making, and, at times, defensive stands that made for an entertaining contest, even if the Gators lost.
But there was something else apparent during those two hours that reminded us we still like the game of basketball; we just don't like the lazy product that has materialized at the professional level.
Florida Basketball: Intensity
In the modern era, the common trope against the NBA is that teams are taking far too many three-pointers. There is a hint of truth to that statement, as in 2008, the Golden State Warriors led the NBA with 26 three-point attempts per game. This year, the Denver Nuggets are dead last in the league with 31 three-point attempts per game.
However, three-pointers alone are not the sole reason why the NBA has watched their TV ratings start to nosedive. On average, about 41% of shots taken in the NBA are a three-point attempt.
On Saturday, 45% of Florida's shots taken were from three.
We have all seen the clips where guys in the NBA are just chucking up shots with time left on the shot clock for the sake of chucking up shots. But there was a feeling, whether real or just placebo, that Florida had to work the ball for their attempts. It wasn't just dribble, dribble, dribble, shoot.
And at the core of why Saturday's game felt so refreshing compared to the 82-game slog that is the NBA was a feeling of intensity the NBA rarely captures in the regular season. In the NBA, teams routinely play four nights a week. In SEC play, the Gators will play two nights a week at most, enabling the intensity to rise.
Combine that with stars like Walter Clayton actually playing like stars and not being worried about load management, and there were plenty of Gator fans on Saturday who were reminded, "Oh right, this is still a fun sport to watch."
We'll see if the rest of the SEC slate plays out like the opener against Kentucky. If it does, Gator fans will be in for must-see TV for the next three months.