High IQ role players are a prized commodity in today’s NBA: Quentin Grimes just showed us why he fits the bill

Quentin Grimes is ahead of the times. Or right on time for what the Dallas Mavericks need.

High IQ role players are all the rage right now, and no wonder. As the league is becoming smarter, the need for intelligent players increases. This is evident in the influx of international role players, who know how to play their role to a tee, and the fact that the best players and MVP candidates are all high IQ players.

One could argue that teams like the Dallas Mavericks, as well as the league as a whole, never before have expected players to arrive with developed decision-making skills, vision and ability to read the game on both ends from day one, as much as is the case right now.

And as Quentin Grimes gets situated in Dallas, there have been signs that he’s exactly that type of high IQ role player, who can create for himself and others, as well as read the game and adjust on the go.

In the preseason game against the LA Clippers earlier this week, we got a taste of his potential. Granted, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving out (calf injury and rest), there’s more space and opportunity for role players to show off their skills.

Grimes had a great game with 20 points, four rebounds, two assists and one block, but it was his vision and decision-making skills that caught my eye.

There are different ways to be a scorer – and not all are high IQ or beneficial to a team on the whole. Against the Clippers, Grimes repeatedly showed off his skills as a team first player with his passing and creation for himself and others – as well as an ability to read the game and make the right decisions in the moment.

Like here, where he throws a beautiful lob to Daniel Gafford and afterwards drives and kicks the ball out for an uncontested three.

An important, and often underrated part of watching and analyzing basketball, is keeping an eye on high IQ plays and decision-making.

How do players act on the court, do they take charge and lead instead of panicking when things go against them? Can they adapt in-game? Think on the move and read the defense/offense?

If we take a look at this compilation of Grimes’ best plays during the Clippers game, he checks a lot of boxes.

The first clip is a pull-up three. Nothing fancy, but the right decision, the same for the second clip, a catch-and-shoot corner three. But now it gets interesting: in the third clip, Grimes does something unexpected. Here, he uses a slip screen to cut to the basket for the easy and uncontested layup. It’s simple, but it shows Grimes’ ability to read the defense and adapt in-game.

Fourth, a Lively handoff to Grimes for a midrange pull-up is great and again he reacts well. The fifth is the ankle breaker, a beautiful four-point play that shows off his individual skill. Sixth, hard drive for a pull-up, easy basket.

The reason why keeping an eye on high IQ players is important is because many of these types of players will be difference-makers down the line. When stars are injured (like now), or defenses manage to guard them so well that they take them out of the game, these types of players will make a difference.

Jason Kidd has always been quick to praise and point out high IQ players, emphasizing the importance of that specific trait. Like when he described Luka Doncic’s basketball IQ “like no other”, or when he called Kyrie Irving “someone whose basketball IQ is extremely high.”

But as we talk more and more about high basketball IQ and how important it is, we seem to lack a good definition of what that actually means. Though people use the phrase in different ways and to mean slightly different things, the core of it is simple.

One of the best definitions I’ve seen is from IBSA Basketball: “Generally speaking, basketball IQ refers to the ability to just instinctively play the game and adapt to any situation that comes up. Knowing how to put the right play into motion at the right time is a skill that many players don’t instinctively possess. It combines a blend of technical skill, game awareness and understanding, plus experience.

Basketball IQ is something that may not put points on the scoreboard or improve individual on-paper stats – unless you really dig deep. It does directly affect the game and can help your team win.”

Dallas seems to pivot toward high IQ role players around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The addition of Klay Thompson shows as much, but also Dereck Lively, Dante Exum, PJ Washington and Maxi Kleber have been rewarded for showcasing those skills on offense and/or defense. After all, this Dallas team of increasingly high IQ players in an increasingly high IQ league is led and coached by one of the most legendary high IQ players in NBA history.

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