Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Intelligence in players?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    ebrian wrote: View Post
    Wonderlic is normally only emphasized for the QB. Still, I wonder if there is even anything like that test in basketball (or any other professional sport for that matter).
    Caliper is the only thing that comes to mind, but that's more about a player's response to pressure. It might be telling in terms of psyche and ability to process information in an analytical (vs. emotional) way, but I don't think it would be a good judge of "sport IQ"...
    Definition of Statistics: The science of producing unreliable facts from reliable figures.

    Comment


    • #17
      Intelligence is a blurry notion : it can mean lots of things. Roger Federer, for example, has been tested way above average in terms of data processing : when exposed to a situation that needs a combination of stimulus detection and translation of this piece of information into a reaction, he's considered as a genius because in a sense, his eyes and their communication with his brain are way faster than ours. This allowed him to develop a very balanced game because he has more time than others to run the court, prepare his shot and execute. His body is less rushed because his movements are planned earlier. And what's the outcome (apart from greatness) ? The guy has never suffered a single injury in his career (I'm talking about proper injuries). In a way, Lebron is very similar : the guy never seems in a rush, he seems to execute smoothly as if the script of his play had been written and circulated to every part of his body for a long time. And he's never injured.

      That doesn't mean you can't be good without this, but an example of someone who seems to be the complete opposite is Noah : look at how messy his body movements are, just as if his brain had been late on telling his ankles, knees, elbows what to do. He fight this with way above average motor and heart, but he's always injured...

      Comment


      • #18
        Nilanka wrote: View Post
        ...Is general intelligence what truly separates good players from the all-time greats? Should general IQ tests be used as part of the scouting process? Do the Raptors currently have players that appear to be of high IQ (again, not "basketball IQ", but general intelligence)?

        Thoughts?

        To be a truly "great player" you obviously need outstanding physical gifts and also a high level of the right kinds of intelligence. As has been noted above, situational awareness and data processing speed are required to get your body moving to the correct location as quickly as possible. You need to be able to internalize learned lessons (studying scouting reports on other players so you can use their tendencies against them in a game...perfect example might be DeMar doing his spin move right into another players hands - not recognizing who bites on it and who doesn't - not picking on him but that is the first example that comes to mind). The ability to focus is required for useful practice. Being able to visualize things in 3D is useful for practice on your own and also for analysing possible moves on the court during a game. These are all individual aspects of intelligence that are not necessarily related i.e they don't always come together as a package. The truly great ones tend to get the whole package.

        As for performance in school...no way is it a reliable marker for high intelligence. Poor performance frequently indicates boredom, as in "Jeez teach. Why are we going over this stuff again and again and again. I got it first time around. Some real mutton heads in this class. I wonder what that guy outside the window is doing? Man this stuff is boring. Damn, Suzy looks hot."

        Comment

        Working...
        X