Can players be trained to increase their basketball IQ?

It won't appear by gulping down vitamins. Wearing a certain brand of shoes will be no help. Neither will wishing or praying be fruitful.

So just how does a basketball player increase his hoops IQ?

We know dribbling skills can certainly be upgraded. Shooting too. The various techniques employed are generally known and trainers available. But how does someone go about bettering his 'when to do what' on the court knowledge?

Think of how many times you've witnessed teams playing and one (or more) of the players takes a bad (early in the clock/after zero passes/when surrounded by defenders) shot. Or dribbles into a double-team. Is beaten defensively more than once by the same move? Game after game.

Some get it and some don't. What makes the difference?

Obviously many factors. Basic intelligence being a cornerstone. Plus, a willingness to recognize flaws twined with the same readiness to take specific actions to correct deficiencies.

Here's more:

From Brian McCormick's "How to Develop Smart Basketball Players"  comes: "...Developing an intelligent player requires a multi-faceted approach. Drills alone cannot teach the skills, game awareness, attentional styles and game experience required to develop a high basketball I.Q. Instead, players need a variety of activities, from individual practice to master the basic technical skills to team practices and games to practice the execution of the basic tactical skills to unstructured play to gain the experience and flexible thinking to make the appropriate decisions at the right time and with the required speed." 

Think technical ability leading to confidence, feeding off the appropriate cues, anticipation plus various forms of practice, practice, practice to attain the required experience and therefore the thinking to react so much more instinctually, a consciousness so you don't have to think anymore approach.

Do take a look at McCormick's entire article.

Keith Michalke quotes McCormick and also writes much more about this topic.

So besides the ball skills so fervently and rightfully so stressed, who out there is teaching basketball IQ development?