RealGM

Which 3 players do you think have the highest BBall IQ?

Tough to pick only 9, but I did my best to balance eras

I think Kidd is underrated-the guy's IQ was off the charts. He was a consistent jumper/scoring skill set from being a top 8 guy all time. I don't like CP3 (cheap/dirty player) but clearly his IQ is legendary. The 3rd choice would be LBJ or Bird for me

Hard to judge the older players, since we didn't see them and we're only going on rep/highlights. I consider the modern NBA to have started with Bird/Magic and the 3 point line in 1979-80. I'm sure Russell, West, Big O and others had super high IQ's but we didn't see them much.

Likely some guys on the bench who just weren't skilled enough. But of the superstars.

Jokic
Bird
CP3

Would be my rough first take. Could sub Magic in there.

LeBron
Kobe
Jokic

Kidd and Chris Paul were the first names that came to mind. Nash is up there. LeBron also came to mind. Voted for the first three though.

Iggy should be on the list. Also Battier.

Duncan, Jokic, and LeBron.

Tim is going to be a low vote getter on this poll because most people will equate BBIQ with offense but he was a defensive savant with amazing instincts and positioning. You don't play as long as he did and as successfully as he did on one knee throughout multiple eras without some really high BBIQ

Bird

Duncan

Jokic

Picked Magic, Bird and Chris Paul. Guess Joker would be my 4.

To me, Magic and Joker were easy two, was not sure about the third guy, but picked Kidd out of the poll. Guy who said it is probably some scrub is right, as a watcher of Euro divisions, I have seen many guys who were crazy smart, just didn't have NBA level skills. That said, BB IQ is also about which pace you can operate in, some guys can be super smart in like college or Europe, but NBA is a bit too fast and they will look dumber, that is an argument for NBA all time greats.

So tough to pick...Jokic definitely has to be on that list. I feel Bird has to be up there too; not a particularly gifted athlete and not a ball dominant player, but still managed to one of the best passers of all time who always had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. 3rd pick would be Nash. A total basketball savant.

UcanUwill wrote:To me, Magic and Joker were easy two, was not sure about the third guy, but picked Kidd out of the poll. Guy who said it is probably some scrub is right, as a watcher of Euro divisions, I have seen many guys who were crazy smart, just didn't have NBA level skills. That said, BB IQ is also about which pace you can operate in, some guys can be super smart in like college or Europe, but NBA is a bit too fast and they will look dumber, that is an argument for NBA all time greats.

Larry Legend

Anyone putting Kobe above Bird doesn't know basketball

floppymoose wrote:Iggy should be on the list. Also Battier.

And Rondo.

Magic, LeBron, and CP3

Jason Kidd
Penny Hardway
Larry Bird
Steve Nash
Reggie Miller
Danny Manning
Hakeem Olajuwon
Nikola Jokic
Chris Paul
Tim Duncan

I would say "No" to LeBron, though. For sure. He makes way too many mistakes on the defensive end and is a 20+-year vet.

I'm going to nominate Lowry. He was 6'0, couldn't jump that high, had a couple serious knee injuries, was a good, but not great shooter and was putting together a bunch of top 10 seasons in his prime by advanced metrics that are popular today, but weren't known at the time. He also made everyone around him significantly better, think his bbiq was definitely above Chris Paul's who was a similar impact player, but much quicker and more athletic with probably better skills too.

Bird
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Magic
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kidd for having the wherewithal to tell a player to hit him on the sideline for a free time out alone

SHAQ32 wrote:Jason Kidd
Penny Hardway
Larry Bird
Steve Nash
Reggie Miller
Danny Manning
Hakeem Olajuwon
Nikola Jokic
Chris Paul
Tim Duncan

I would say "No" to LeBron, though. For sure. He makes way too many mistakes on the defensive end and is a 20+-year vet.

Putting Reggie on there and then having the audacity to “say no to LeBron”.

SMH…

Jokic, Bird or Nash will win because we’re on RealGM and those 3 are most likely to win here because reasons.

But it’s LeBron and it’s not even close but he won’t win an IQ competition here for those same reasons.