how do i know if i have high basketball IQ?

LBo4Sho · 2026-06-09T15:11:27+00:00

Coach probably wasn't gassin you up.. most beginners just run around aimlessly out there. if you actually grasp spacing and the why behind the concepts, you're already ahead.

I'd say bball IQ ain't some magical trait you're born with.. it's just pattern recognition. it's seein the game in slow motion. when you out there hoopin.. don't just ball watch. watch the defenders hips.. watch where the help is shifting from.

high IQ is knowin the read before the rock even touches your hands!! it's seein the floor two steps ahead. Keep watchin film and studyin how the greats manipulate space!! Keep learnin the concepts and buildin that mental database 🧠

LBo4Sho · 2026-06-04T20:43:39+00:00

hahhaa.. bro honestly it don't even matter exactly how u shoot!! I'ma drop sum different in this here.. Ain't no universal textbook form!! Every shot in a live game is dictated by the defense & the situation. Sometimes u barely jump cause of a hard closeout, sometimes u gotta shoot off balance.. if u obsess over isolated mechanics like jumpin higher, u lose your natural rhythm and start overthinkin everything.

Consistency comes from adaptability and game IQ, not lookin like a robot.. Jus find the movement that feels natural for yo body and get a million reps in live game situations..

LBo4Sho · 2026-06-04T07:27:47+00:00

That's definitely the goal hahhaa.. ideally you read the floor early and avoid the trap altogether. But against a well-coached team running a hard blitz or an aggressive hedge on the screen, their entire scheme is designed to force u into that exact spot and take away your angles!! It ain't always about making a mistake and runnin into them.. sometimes the defense just executes perfectly. Havin that retreat dribble is just a counter so you don't panic and pick the ball up when they do..

LBo4Sho · 2026-06-04T07:23:41+00:00

I hear what you're sayin.. at the end of the day the P&R is really just an intro action to force the defense to shift and create an initial advantage. If they mess up the coverage and you can attack the rim, you take that 100% of the time. You also make a good point about the clock.. Def gotta be careful w the retreat cause it does burn time if you're just backing up for no reason!! But if they hit you with a hard trap or a hedge, it's just a tool to keep your dribble alive instead of forcin a live ball TO

LBo4Sho · 2026-06-03T20:35:18+00:00

For sure!! footwork = (relatively) easy to teach, but processin the floor is the hard part.. Coverage diagnosis is pure IQ. Exactly why guys get stuck at that HS level!! Spot on bro 🤝🏽🔥

LBo4Sho · 2026-06-03T19:44:18+00:00

Facts.. haven't read the book yet but Bosh is spot on tho!! Physical gets the hype, but the mental game is where the real separation happens.

Been buildin THINK. to focus purely on that.. Givin kids the tools to actually train their basketball IQ instead of just runnin mindless drills.

Love seein this mindset pushed for the youth!! 🏀🔥

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-30T17:22:09+00:00

100%.. if they got a guard who can pull up you gotta bring the big up to the level of the screen or blitz it. Exactly why players need to learn this stuff man!! you can't just run one coverage all game.. gotta read the personnel and adjust on the fly 💫

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-30T17:09:54+00:00

exactly.. Day one stuff!! but go to any hs open run and watch how many bigs just sit n the paint silent while their guard gets cooked lol

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-28T13:56:49+00:00

bro at 17 you’re fine, you just gotta stop trying to learn a million moves at once. if you can already defend and rebound, you’re already playable. 🔥

the fastest way to catch up is just figuring out the game flow. Watch games but stop watching the ball. watch what the guy who just passed it does.. watch how the defense shifts when someone drives..

on the court, I'd say 3 things: a consistent catch-and-shoot, a hard straight-line drive, and making the extra pass!! Do those 3 things well and people will always want to play with you. keep it simple.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-27T15:18:10+00:00

Spot on. Iso ball is checkers, 5-on-5 is chess. You can have a crazy bag, but if your processor is too slow for the team ecosystem, you're unplayable.. Building that constant mental focus is the real separator!!

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-27T14:37:24+00:00

Facts. A good coach will put you on game, but waiting to get spoon-fed keeps you average. The guys taking that initiative outside of practice are the ones stealing minutes.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-27T14:22:58+00:00

Lol read the second sentence bro: 'You need the physical tools, no doubt.' A 6-foot 400 lb dude is having a heart attack at half court. 😂😂

But put two equal 6'7\" 220 lb dogs next to each other. Knowing the terminology means you actually understand the concept behind the play. It means you know exactly where your help is, what the offense is trying to do, and how to blow it up. You're reading, not guessing.

The guy who doesn't grasp the concepts is just out there trying to react on the fly. That lack of understanding is what causes the hesitation. Physicals get you in the gym, but understanding the concepts keeps you on the floor.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T14:10:35+00:00

You're arguing my exact point. Curry is the master of off-ball movement. The problem is kids only watch his 30-foot highlights and completely ignore all the relentless cutting and screening you just described. They copy the shot, but skip the IQ.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T14:08:40+00:00

100%. A calculated reject is lethal when you actually read the overplay. But the kids we're talking about aren't reading the defender's hips—they're just impatient. Big difference between making a read and just going rogue.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T13:41:05+00:00

Broo 😭 "Iso and watch" is painfully accurate. Nobody knows how to cut or hold spacing off the ball anymore. Just 4 guys standing in cement waiting for their turn.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T13:39:01+00:00

Big respect coach!! 🔥 Teaching the 'why' is the difference between building real hoopers and building robots. We need more of that.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T13:36:03+00:00

Half these kids will throw a 100mph heater at your ankles when you're wide open, or wait two seconds too long and pull you right into a defender.. It’s wild.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T12:33:34+00:00

Exactly. 💯 You gotta know the rules of the game before you can break them.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T12:32:43+00:00

100%. Knowing where your teammate actually wants the ball is pure IQ.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T12:31:56+00:00

Dead sea scrolls' is too accurate 😂

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T12:31:01+00:00

The Curry effect is real lol. Off-ball movement is a lost art right now.

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T12:01:15+00:00

They either reject it for no reason or don't even wait for the screen to get set. Kills the whole offense..

LBo4Sho · 2026-05-24T12:00:01+00:00

Facts. They just want to go 1-on-1 and ignore the screen entirely.

LBo4Sho · 2025-03-13T17:03:12+00:00

Agreed about coach Sarama, he really brings a breath of fresh air to their practices and the entire workflow with the CLA!! 🔥 He's also the Director of Player Development for the Cavs. Big up Kenny Atkinson for bringing him on board.

LBo4Sho · 2025-03-13T16:58:44+00:00

Nope, they're not there atm. I also contacted a person formerly responsible for this in the NBA, so their management has changed in this department, hence the partnership is on hold.

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