Anton Watson has been a vital component of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, a collegiate powerhouse, for the past five years, going deep with the team. The soon-to-be 24-year-old is currently bringing his skills to the NBA.
These kinds of college legends have a poor track record at the next level historically, particularly when their style of play is based mostly on outdated post-ups (79 post-ups in the previous season, according to Synergy). The consensus mock drafts and big boards don’t even see Watson being picked, indicating that the NBA media community appears to concur.
But as we’ve seen in the past, some players, like Draymond Green, are capable of entirely changing their approach and going from being the weakest starting option in the collegiate game to a superb complementary player at the next level.
Watson has every indication of being able to undergo this change, even if the only things in life that are guaranteed are death, taxes, and the importance of spacing in basketball.
A high IQ is the first quality to seek for in athletes with this kind of ability. When it comes to basketball, we frequently utilize this term in an ambiguous manner without providing any clarification on what exactly being a high basketball IQ means. In essence, though, it indicates that the player in question is well-versed in the design of the basketball court and how each component works.
During our discussion, Watson told me that it was almost instinctive. “You kind of feel like you know where everyone is and where all the openings are once you are on the court.”
I randomly gave Watson my exam on remembering directions during our talk because I believe there is a connection between feeling for directions while driving and feeling on a basketball court. Watson laughed at how silly my query was, but he did confirm what I suspected: he is really excellent at remembering instructions when driving.
