A list of the top 5 stars in the NBA who have "full physical talent and insufficient football quotient"

In the NBA world, "talent" has always been the cornerstone of players' foothold. Static talent (height, wingspan, body shape) determines the "lower limit" of players, while dynamic talent (speed, explosive power, bounce) gives them the possibility of hitting the "upper limit". But there is always a group of special players: their physical talents are "top league matches", their static conditions crush their opponents at the same position, and their dynamic abilities are even more amazing to fans, but they are dragged down by their "brain" - either because of insufficient ball quotient, unable to understand the rhythm of the game, and making the right offensive choices; or because of their emotions being out of control, they cannot win the mentality, and cannot hold their temper. In the end, they should have become top stars can only wander in the regret of "waste of talent". The five people I want to talk about today are typical representatives of "below the brain is super giant".

Westbrook: The explosion talent is no match for the obsession with "iron head"

Russell Westbrook's physical talent is definitely in the top three in the history of NBA guards. The 1.91-meter height is combined with the top-level vertical bounce (it is more than 100 cm in actual measurement at its peak), allowing him to complete the patch on the center forward's head; the starting speed is like an arrow off the string, and the impact force when breaking through is comparable to that of a small forward. In the early days, he could even directly cross the defense line by relying on a "tank-like collision". Westbrook at his peak was synonymous with the "triple-double machine" - he averaged triple-double for three consecutive seasons, 42 triple-doubles in a single season. Behind these records was he "chised" with his ultimate physical talent.

But Westbrook's "shortcoming" is also obvious: his playing style hides a nearly paranoid "stubbornness", and the ball merchants can never keep up with the rhythm of their bodies. When he was young, he could use explosive power to cover up the unreasonable choices - even if he forced a breakthrough and took a brainless move, he could still put the ball in by relying on his physical advantage; but as he grew older and his athletic ability declined, this "iron-head" style of playing has become a fatal flaw. He is still obsessed with the old routine of "breakthrough-stop jump shot". Even if there are two defensive players standing in front of him, he has to force his move. Although the team needs him to attack in series, he is obsessed with personal scoring and often uses five irons to smooth out the team's lead in one quarter. Even though Westbrook, who has entered his twilight years of career, still cannot change his habit of "striking randomly" - if he can be more calm and less obsessed, with his experience and impact, he can become the top "super sixth person" in the league, and no one will be interested in it yet.

Cousins: The "No. 1 Center" was destroyed by his irritable temper

DeMarcus Cousins' talent was envied by the entire league. The 2.11-meter height and 2.28-meter wingspan have both the advantage of the center and the delicate skills of the guard. He can turn and jump shots after a back-single in the low post, and can also pull out the three-point line to make long shots, and even send a wonderful pass like a guard. His average of 27.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game at his peak is enough to prove that he is an all-round center who "can be able to be internal and external, pass and shoot." In the league at that time, there were very few players who could switch to Cousins ​​alone, and he should have become the "generation overlord" who dominates the inside.

Cousins' "emotion" became the "poison" that destroyed his career. He is like a "time bomb" that explodes at any time: whenever the referee calls a foul on the court, he will yell at the referee and even make excessive moves. He has received 143 technical fouls and 14 times directly expelled in his career. He is even more uncontrollable in the face of his opponent's provocation. He often escalates into physical conflicts because of his quarrels. In a game, he was directly expelled from the court because of his opponent's criticism, causing the team to lose the core of the inside and eventually lose. What's even more fatal is that his bad temper spread to the locker room - he talked back to his coach and had conflicts with his teammates, and was teased by fans as a "coach killer". In order to accommodate him, the Kings changed four head coaches within five years, but he could not change his irritable personality. In the end, injuries and temper problems made Cousins ​​fade out of the NBA at the age of 30. If he could control his emotions and with his talent, it should have been the "championship puzzle" that various teams compete for.

Odom: "Left-handed Magician" loses on "top"

Lamar Odom's talent is synonymous with "comprehensive". He is 2.08 meters tall, but he has the ability to control the ball like a defender and pass the ball. He can play as a small forward, play a guest center, and even complete the feat of "defending from No. 1 to No. 5" in the game, so he is called the "left-handed magician". As a right-hand man around Kobe, Odom was once a key contributor to the Lakers' two consecutive championships - he can contribute 14+8+3 data on the bench, and can also replace the starter at a critical moment and save the team with a winning goal. The media at that time commented on him: "If Odom could focus on the game, he would at least become a regular All-Star player."

, Odom's "ball merchant" always "disconnected" at critical moments. His biggest problem is that it is "easy to get ahead": he often holds the ball without any brains when attacking. Although his teammates are in an open position, he insists on doing it alone, but he will either be intercepted or forcefully shoot a blacksmith; he is not focused when defending, and often misses his opponent's running position, resulting in loopholes in the team's defense line. What's even more outrageous is that he also made a low-level mistake of "passing the ball to his bench teammates" in the game, and was directly selected as the "Five Embarrassing" famous scene. O'Neal once teased him: "There are two players living in Odom's body - one is an All-Star genius, and the other is a young man who is not even as good as an amateur player." In the end, due to off-court factors and attitude towards the game, Odom left the NBA at the age of 32, leaving only the regret of "waste of talent".

JR: "The Master of Highlights" cannot win the actual battle

JR・Smith's talent is hidden in the "The Master of Highlights". He has a top-notch bounce and shooting feel: he can complete a 360-degree dunk in a fast break, can make a "misunderstood three-pointer" from one step outside the three-point line (that is, he seems to have to pass the ball, but suddenly hit it), and can also make a "fairy ball" at a critical moment - G1 of the 2018 Finals. He hit a very long three-pointer at the last moment, almost helping the Cavaliers reverse the game. When you look at JR's highlights, you will think he is stronger than Jordan, but once it is put into actual combat, he becomes a "nerve knife".

JR's "shortcoming" is a double lack of stability and ball quotient. He can score 40 points in one game, or 0 of 10 shots in another game, playing the role of "undercover" throughout the whole game; he is often hot-headed when attacking, and the team needs to stabilize the rhythm, but he insists on making a long three-pointer; he is lazy when defending, and when his opponent breaks through, he either does not chase or foul. The most classic "famous scene" is the last few seconds of G1 in the 2018 Finals: At that time, the Cavaliers and the Warriors drew, but JR forgot the time after grabbing the rebound, and ran around in place with the ball, and did not react until the end of the game, which directly led to the team missing the chance to win. After the game, the scene of James roaring on the sidelines became the best proof of JR's "not enough brain". If you can focus more and have less randomness, JR can completely become the top "3D player" in the league, rather than being as "a collection of highlights as tigers, and 25% of actual combat".

Mckey: "Chamberlain Upgraded Version" is trapped in "Distracted"

Javille Mackey's physical talent is called "Chamberlain 2.0". The 2.13-meter height and 2.33-meter wingspan give him an absolute advantage in the basket to protect the frame; his running and jumping ability is the top of the center - he can go as fast as a small forward, and can also complete "dunks" at the basket. He averaged 2.5 blocks per game at his peak and made 7 blocks in a single game. Fans at that time joked: "If McGee can focus on the game, he can become the best defensive player in the league."

But McGee's "ball quotation" made him a "five frequent visitors". His biggest problem is "inattention": he is often distracted when defending, and even though his opponent has already run to the basket, he is still staring at the referee; he also makes low-level mistakes when attacking, such as dunking the ball away at the empty space at the basket, or forgetting to attack after receiving the pass, standing there in a daze. In O'Neal's "Five Embarrassing" show, McGee has more shots than any player - once he stared at two balls at the same time in the game, but was easily scored by his opponent. This scene became a classic case of "not having enough brains". Throughout his career, McGee has been wandering between teams and has never been on one team for more than 3 years. If he could focus more and lose his mind, with his physical talent, he could become the top inside pillar in the league, rather than the "wandering center" like now.

Talent is easy to obtain, but hard to find the mind

There is an old saying in the NBA: "Physical talent determines your lower limit, and ball quotient and emotions determine your upper limit." The league has never lacked talented players, but those who can become top stars are often those who "body and brain coexist" - such as Jordan, who has both explosive physical talent and can understand the rhythm of the game; for example, James, who can both rely on physical breakthroughs and connect teams with ball quotients. Therefore, talent is important, but only by learning to play with your "brain" and controlling your emotions can you transform talent into real strength. Otherwise, no matter how high the physical talent is, it can only become synonymous with "waste".