Young players need to memorize this article

"Mind Games" -- Stanley Johnson

An excerpt: "...In this league, your ability to use your IQ is critical. You have to be able to read the floor on offense and defense, be aware of mismatches and figure out how to expose them to the best of your ability. Take Kobe. On offense, he recognized mismatches and found holes in defenses, and used what he saw to choose which side of the court he wanted to operate on. But, that’s just the offensive side. On defense, Kevin Garnett’s intuition was uncanny. The instant a team got into its offense, it was like he already knew the play they were going to run. He would call out screens and open men, and then direct his teammates to those spots on the court. The ability to see the whole –– not just what’s in front of you — is what distinguishes a great player from an average one..."