NBA: The 10 smartest active players in the league

Basketball I.Q or smartness is the ability to process information at game speed, understanding the importance of time and score. Reading and understanding the momentum of the game and at the same time analysing if it is important to change the game's pace, knowing one's team's strength and weakness.

There are many things and aspects which separates a great player from a good one and one of them is Basketball I.Q. A good player becomes a great player by increasing his Basketball I.Q. A smart basketball player knows and understands the mental aspects of the game and is able to execute correct and smart plays in the game.

Smartness doesn't show up on the stat sheet but is surely a determining factor in a team's wins and losses. An intelligent player keeps himself a step ahead of anyone else in the game, he reads the offence and the defence, tries to find out what they are doing and makes his adjustments according to it.

An intelligent player improves his smartness by studying game films of his own and of others too. He also experiences many situations during the game and improves his intelligence.

Characteristics of one of the smartest players :

He goes for the best option in very less time.
He knows how to make the right play according to the time left and score.
He remains focused and confident while making a decision.
He tries to read the court and tries to make the right pass.
He is always ready to take risks and knows how to change himself according to different situations.

This list is about 10 active NBA players who are the smartest and different people can have a different perspective because there are many players with amazing on and off court smartness.

The 10 active players are as follows:

#10 Draymond Green

The 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft has been a key in the Golden State Warriors' team. We all know how much Draymond Green has added to the Warriors' success. We have seen in the 2016 NBA Finals how the Warriors struggled when Green was suspended for Game 5.

When the Golden State Warriors try to solve the puzzle to success, Green turns out to be the missing piece to that puzzle. Green's presence at both ends of the floor proves that he is one of the most important players for the Warriors.

Green was the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2016-17 NBA season and his ability to read the defence and has the patience to pass the ball at the right moment, which is amazing. When he starts to heat up, it becomes very difficult for the opposing team to stop him whether it is on the defensive end or at the offensive end. Green's intelligence can be seen not only on the court but also off the court when it comes to recruiting one of the best NBA players to the team.

#9 Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade, the Shooting Guard with great basketball I.Q. What else do you want from shooting guards? Wade is one of the best Shooting Guards in the NBA and one of the greatest to wear the Heat jersey, thanks to his smart instincts.

Wade's scoring ability, passing ability, and great court vision are very hard to find and he uses his smartness to get past the defender to either score at the rim or to pass the ball to an open teammate to shoot. He has been a student of this game from the very first time he stepped on the basketball court and has a great ability to understand the situation and act according to it.

Also, very few can match Wade's smartness on the court, whether it is on the offensive end to draw fouls with his pump fakes or on the defensive end, stealing the ball without fouling or drawing charges.

Wade has been doing this for many years and his basketball I.Q. is amazing. Now, his game is going to be very fun to watch as he is playing the last season of his NBA career which he calls "The Last Dance".

#8 Rajon Rondo

We all are aware of Rajon Rondo's signature fakes to confuse defenders. Rondo, while being on the Boston Celtics helped the team win a championship and led in assists. He's been the Quarterback no matter which team he played for. Many times Rondo carried the team with his offensive skills. Judging Rondo while he does the fakes is the biggest mistake a defender could ever do. His ability to deceive the defence sometimes become unimaginable for others.

Rondo's ability to read the defence and find an open man in just a second is really remarkable. He knows other players' strength and weakness and with his basketball I.Q., he takes advantage of the weaknesses of the opposing player.

Despite an average shooting skill and being really unselfish regarding his scoring, Rondo has always made passing and moving the ball his strength and that's what makes him a threat. Now he is on the Lakers and can prove to be a great support player.

#7 Tony Parker

Tony Parker is one of the best Point Guards in the NBA and his contribution to his team has always been helpful to find success. Parker's great court vision, finding the best man to pass the ball has helped his team in clinching many wins.

Parker's footwork inside the paint to make tough lay-ups and taking contested shots has made him a tough player to guard. Predicting Parker's next moves or plays is very difficult for a player to do. He has learned many things from legendary coach Gregg Popovich and all-time great teammates like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in terms of court awareness and how to analyse every situation.

Now, as he is on Charlotte Hornets' roster and has a great amount of experience of this game, he can be a strong support and a guide to the young ones who are playing around him.

#6 Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki is a big man with some skills and abilities which very few players have in their game. Like some great players, Nowitzki also has his signature move which his step back jumper off one leg, his height and his all-time great shooting ability helps him in making such a move.

Nowitzki's scoring ability with has helped him to make contested shots, he is also a good passer. He led his team to the playoffs many times with his great playing strategies and also has earned a stunning championship in 2011. He has also proved his smartness by achieving a well-deserved mention on the list of all-time scoring leaders by scoring 30000 points and as of now, he is there with 31187 points.

Yes! He's getting older and right now he is one of the oldest active players in the NBA, but still is smart enough to create space and make plays even in today's world of basketball where everything has changed, from the style of play to the pace of the game. He still has an enormous amount of dedication for the game and has adjusted himself to play smartly in this era.

#5 Kyrie Irving

Who doesn't remember the final minute of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, the shot by Kyrie Irving turned the whole game upside-down. Irving has always been ready to lead his team no matter how intense the game is.

Reading the defender and making them fall with some exceptional ball handling has been the biggest weapon of Irving's arsenal. Irving has the ability to either take the ball to the basket and make it count or just pass the ball even at the last moment. No one knows what he is going to do next.

Kyrie always relied on his basketball I.Q. and he is always ready to take the team's lead. He is never afraid of the big moments and is always ready to make the clutch shots. His basketball I.Q. is improving every year and in the current NBA season, we are watching him taking the driving seat of the Boston Celtics' train, and help the team to come on-track in absence of Gordon Hayward.

#4 James Harden

James Harden grew his smartness as fast as his beard

James Harden or The Beard is one of the best players in the NBA right now. Harden has been in the MVP conversation for some years and in this season also he is very competitive. Harden is the reigning MVP and had a rough start this season, but still, he is going to adjust himself and going to elevate his game.

Harden has an amazing basketball I.Q. at the offensive end and has been improving on that aspect year by year.

His moves to create space, making tough shots, smart passes, and rebounding skills have helped him to become one of the best players right now. He is just a killer if we talk about his step-back and euro step move. Harden has amazing court vision, he is athletic, an amazing scorer and his ability to record triple-doubles in any game have taken his basketball intelligence to a new level

#3 Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers

Stephen Curry is the player with one of the most influencing skills in the game. He has truly changed the way of shooting the ball. He has created a revolution in the game due to his 3-point shooting.

Curry is one of the best ball handlers in NBA history and the best shooter in the NBA history. He is one of the smartest players in the league right now. Curry is not very athletic or has a high vertical jump, but he has developed his quick shooting, dribbling, and passing to become one of the smartest players in the NBA.

He is never afraid of taking the longest and the toughest shots which we have seen him taking and making them as well. Being the most unselfish player, Curry shares the court with his teammates to let them contribute to the team's success, which is why Golden State was dominant even before Kevin Durant's arrival.

So far in this season, he has shown very smart and amazing plays. His shooting has been above par so far and he has the potential to be the MVP of the 2018-19 NBA season.

#2 LeBron James

If you don't take the King in this conversation, then you are not really making a list of NBA players with the best basketball I.Q. LeBron James is the best player in the NBA right now and arguably one of the best players with the best basketball I.Q.s.

James, when needed, can become a Point Guard and can excel with his court vision and passing skills. When it comes to leading the team, James can easily outperform any other player. His game at both ends of the floor is a great threat to the opposing team and he is the best and fittest athlete in the history of the sport.

After the departure of Kyrie from the Cavaliers, James' task was really elevated to a whole new level. But he never fears a change or a challenge, he's been outstanding throughout his 16 NBA season and he is actually getting better with age and carried his team to the NBA finals in the last season as well.

Now, being a Laker this season, he is excited and getting challenged more than ever which he has embraced beautifully and accordingly adjusting himself to fit in the right way and represent himself in the "Purple & Blue".

#1 Chris Paul - Houston Rockets

Chris Paul, the Point God has an exceptional basketball I.Q. A 6-foot Point Guard, Paul is surely not a tall player but his skills are way taller than many tall players' skills. Paul's court vision and passing ability have been outstanding so far and he has another skill in his arsenal which is scoring. No one can judge what he is going to do next and this is what made him one of the best Point Guards in NBA history.

The best way to measure a player's or especially a Point Guard's smartness is to evaluate his assist to turnover ratio. If the player turns over the ball more, then that means he is giving away the opportunity to score more and chances for the opponent to have more possessions and score increases.

Chris has been on the list of top 5 assists to turnover ratio for many years and this shows his smartness on the court. Whether he is on the court or on the bench, he never fails to read the opponent's floor distribution and guide his team to make the right moves.

Last year he sustained an injury during the Western Conference Finals and missed game 7 against the Warriors. The Rockets couldn't make it to the NBA Finals and now Paul's desire to be a champion burns more than ever.