On a recent episode of the ‘Gil’s Arena’ show, Gilbert Arenas shared his perspective on the ongoing debate between choosing a high-skill player versus a high-IQ player, especially when dealing with average or less experienced players. Arenas emphasized the value of raw talent and athleticism over a player’s basketball IQ, arguing that natural abilities can often be developed and refined, whereas certain physical attributes can’t be taught.
“You gotta realize you’re raw natural talent. They’re just raw athletic. They just out there just running. Running, jumping, and dunking. When you’re on the bottom end of it, I would take JaVale McGee because I can teach him. Yeah, I can teach him how to be fundamentally sound.”
“Kyle Anderson, you can’t give him athleticism. No matter who you put out there he’s running the show, Very high IQ player, you put him out there with a whole bunch of dummies he looks stupid too.” (4:09)
Gilbert Arenas highlights how raw talent, even when unrefined, can be more valuable in certain situations. He pointed out that when you’re dealing with players who are not on the elite level—those who are more on the average end of the talent spectrum—he would prefer to take a raw, athletic player like JaVale McGee.
Arenas contrasted this with a player like Kyle Anderson, who is known for his high basketball IQ but lacks the natural athleticism that other players might have. Arenas pointed out that no matter how intelligent or skilled Anderson might be, he would struggle to keep up with more athletic players. According to Arenas, a high-IQ player can still struggle in certain environments, particularly if surrounded by less skilled teammates.
Arenas clarified that his argument was not about top-tier players who possess both skill and IQ, like Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but rather about players in the average range. For Arenas, when it comes to building a team or developing players who are not at the elite level, he believes that raw talent and athleticism provide a stronger foundation, as these qualities can be nurtured and refined, whereas athleticism cannot be instilled into a player who lacks it naturally.
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