Why did the Boston Celtics agree to a reported five-year, $15 million free-agent contract for backup Nets forward Brian Scalabrine? One big factor was the wiring of Scalabrine's brain.
Celtics GM Danny Ainge relies on scouting consultant Jon Niednagel, known as the "brain doctor," who studies the mannerisms and movements of players in order to decipher their "brain type." The physical traits of each player reveal how his brain is "wired," and that mental wiring, according to Niednagel, is what separates the All-Stars from the underachievers. "It is the single greatest determinant for why people do what they do," says Niednagel, who heads the Brain Type Institute of Thornfield, Mo. Niednagel has a long-running track record of picking out talent, identifying Tracy McGrady and Amare Stoudemire as certain stars before they were each picked No. 9, overall, in their respective drafts.
There are 16 different brain types, according to Niednagel, who says some of those types are better suited to success on the basketball court than others. The ultimate type for basketball is ISTP (the initials stand for introverted, sensing, thinking, perceiving). Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Jerry West and John Stockton were ISTP -- ultra-competitive winners who thrive in pressure situations. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Scalabrine is also ISTP, and though he isn't in their league athletically, Boston is hoping that his size and shooting skills can help the 27-year-old become a big playmaker down the stretch in tight games. Remember when Scalabrine came off the bench during the '04 Eastern semifinals to hit all four of his 3-pointers while helping the Nets to a triple-OT win over Detroit? The Celtics believe that he may be wired for more explosive nights like that one."
Wow. The progress of science, huh?
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