I posted this on the main page as well.
Bill Polian (former NFL General Manager for the Bills, Panthers and Colts) was on Sportsnet 590 last night talking about evaluation criteria when scouting potential draft picks. And one of the factors he mentioned is a player's ability to scan the field, absorb/process all information in a split second, and react/make the right decision accordingly. I loosely interpret this to mean intelligence (not "football IQ", but general intelligence). He said that he has seen hundreds of players over the years who have all the physical gifts in the world, combined with a strong/dedicated work ethic, who have failed on the field because of their inability to process information quickly. He was mainly speaking of quarterbacks, but reiterated that it applies to all other positions as well.
Long story short, I wonder how true this is in basketball. 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?
Bill Polian (former NFL General Manager for the Bills, Panthers and Colts) was on Sportsnet 590 last night talking about evaluation criteria when scouting potential draft picks. And one of the factors he mentioned is a player's ability to scan the field, absorb/process all information in a split second, and react/make the right decision accordingly. I loosely interpret this to mean intelligence (not "football IQ", but general intelligence). He said that he has seen hundreds of players over the years who have all the physical gifts in the world, combined with a strong/dedicated work ethic, who have failed on the field because of their inability to process information quickly. He was mainly speaking of quarterbacks, but reiterated that it applies to all other positions as well.
Long story short, I wonder how true this is in basketball. 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?
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