Game Theory Podcast

Adam Spinella joins Sam Vecenie this episode to break down two hugely important NBA games over the weekend. We start with the awesome Lakers-Mavericks game where the Lakers came back from down deep in the first half against the Mavericks to win. Then we move to the awesome Sixers-Celtics game from Saturday, where the Celtics pulled out a big win but the 76ers maybe got some belief for a future playoff series?After that, Sam and Spins talk about a few 2023 NBA Draft prospects that you need to catch right now as opposed to waiting, because their season is about to end. Prospects like Brice Sensabaugh, GG Jackson, Brandin Podziemski, Taylor Hendricks, Max Lewis, and Judah Mintz are all interesting in some regard, but probably only have a couple of weeks left of play. Diving into their games and what to watch for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Schindler is here, and we're talking Schindler dudes. We're talking about the most important X-Factors in the 2023 NBA Title Race. Essentially, the goal here is to look below the superstar level and dive into guys whose presences on their current teams can absolutely swing NBA title races. Who are the role players who will be critical to some of the NBA contenders' chances to win an NBA title? Who are some of the unheralded guys that could swing championship pictures? The NBA is a superstar league, but what players can put those guys in the best positions to do what they do best?First though, we start with Russell Westbrook to the Clippers. Then at the end, we dive into Leonard Miller, a fascinating prospect with the G League Ignite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kane Pitman from ESPN and Locked on Bucks joins the show, and we dive into NBA title tiers. Who are the favorites currently to win the NBA Championship. This will be broken out very simply: We're going to dive into the teams that have a genuine chance to win the NBA championship, and simply explain why they will or will not win the title. We're diving into a bunch of teams, as the league is wide open this year, and breaking down what makes each team such an impressive contender.Take advantage of MANSCAPED®’s best valued bundle and save 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code NBA23 at Manscaped.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Spinella joins Sam Vecenie to break down all that we saw over the course of NBA All-Star Weekend. From Jose Alvarado and Josh Giddey's fur coat on Friday, to Mac McClung's dunks on Saturday, to Damian Lillard drilling halfcourt shots on Sunday in a game filled with horrid defense. Plus, a fun Jayson Tatum blow up performance that earned MVP with 55 points.Then, we're going to dive into some 2023 NBA Draft Stuff. Who played well this weekend? We'll also use this opportunity to talk about Keyonte George out of Baylor for a little while, and why this incredibly productive freshman has been very polarizing for scouts this season. Some Gradey Dick, a bit Cam Whitmore, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Schindler joins the show to break down the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline and our first impressions of it coming up to the All-Star Break. What has Mike Conley looked like in Minnesota? Kyrie in Dallas? D'Angelo Russell and the rest of the new Lakers in LA? Poeltl in Toronto? Hart in New York? We break it down and also discuss Malaki Branham's fun little breakout in San Antonio.We also chat some about Kevin Love and his seemingly impending buyout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Samson Folk from Raptors Republic joins the program to discuss the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors surprised many by aggressively buying at the NBA Trade Deadline, acquiring Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs. With Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. becoming free agents this summer; the OG Anunoby situation still persistent as he enters the last year of his deal; the Pascal Siakam extension question; buying a potential free agent in Poeltl; the Scottie Barnes: franchise player questions all the still hanging around for the Raptors, where does the organization go from here? They are genuinely in maybe the most interesting position of any franchise in the NBA.LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/theory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Spinella joins the show and we re-set the table for the 2023 NBA Draft now that the Super Bowl has passed and we're into February. It's time for a Big Picture look at scouting the 2023 NBA Draft. We'll talk Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, the Thompson twins, the best college prospects, risers, fallers, Duke's guys, and much more. Then, we're going to close on Ben Simmons, and his situation in Brooklyn and why the entire thing is just a bummer right now.LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/theory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a jam-packed NBA Trade Deadline day, and Mark Schindler is here to join me to break down all of the action. We dive deep into everything that happened, including the Kevin Durant trade to Phoenix, the biggest deadline deal in 50-plus years.Then we dive deep into everything else, including the Lakers' continued makeover, Josh Hart to the Knicks, what in the world Toronto is planning after buying at the deadline with Jakob Poeltl, the Warriors cutting ties with James Wiseman, Saddiq Bey to Atlanta, Gary Payton II back to the Warriors, the Matisse Thybulle/Jalen McDaniels/Portland swap, Jae Crowder finally gets to Milwaukee, and the Clippers weird wheeling and dealing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cole Huff joins the show to chat a bit about a few topics! We're going to start with the big news of the NBA on Wednesday, which is that the Russell Westbrook era in Los Angeles is over. The Lakers traded him to the Jazz in a three-team deal to acquire D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt. The Wolves will get Mike Conley, and the Jazz will get draft capital in addition to Westbrook.Then, we'll chat about LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history! Some fun memories of LeBron, what the moment looked like, and more!Then, we dive into the NBA Trade Deadline. Maybe trades will have happened by then? Or maybe we'll recklessly speculate more! Who's to say? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Spinella joins the show. He and Sam dive deep into into the Kyrie Irving trade saga that exploded over the weekend and culimated in his move to Dallas for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a first rounder and two second rounders. Was this the best fit? Should Dallas have gotten involved? Should anyone be willing to give Kyrie long-term money? Also, how does this impact Brooklyn?We also talk a bit about Dereck Lively's improved play at Duke, including a breakout game against North Carolina over the weekend, and maybe take some questions at the end of what will be a jam-packed deadline week.Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to rocketmoney.com/theory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Schindler joins the podcast today, and we break down a bunch of different topics!-How NBA teams seem to be valuing incumbency over potential trades, and how Bird rights have become valuable as a trade asset or retention tool.-The Wolves are on fire with Anthony Edwards!-A week out from the NBA Trade Deadline, what are our favorite moves that could potentially actually swing the title race? It's FAKE TRADE TIME BABY, with OG Anunoby and Jarred Vanderbilt!-Walker Kessler has become a very real NBA starting center and top-three ROY candidate in Year One!-Breanna Stewart to the New York Liberty and how the WNBA season is shaping up!-Mailbag including Cam Reddish, some rookie improvements, and more.Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code NBA23 at Manscaped.com and shoot your arrow with MANSCAPED™ this Valentine’s Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Dave DuFour joins the show to break down our choices for All-Star Reserves in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. With the starters already chosen, now the fun begins in trying to determine who the best choices are to make the All-Star game. And this is the hardest season I've ever had to consider for All-Star selections with so many great players around the league.Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code NBA23 at Manscaped.com and shoot your arrow with MANSCAPED™ this Valentine’s Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Spinella joins the show for a jam-packed show that includes a breakdown of Joel Embiid's masterclass against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets; the weirdo Celtics-Lakers ending from Saturday night; the Myles Turner extension that remains fascinating; the Jeremy Sochan breakout in recent weeks; plus, a look at some young rotation players that could end up playing critical roles in the NBA playoffs!Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code NBA23 at Manscaped.com and shoot your arrow with MANSCAPED™ this Valentine’s Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Schindler joins the show, and they chat about three topics. First, the Orlando Magic! One of the most fun teams in the NBA resides in Orlando. With Jonathan Isaac back, Franz Wagner emerging, Markelle Fultz leading, and Paolo Banchero flashing all-star vibes, the Magic look set to take the NBA by storm sooner rather than later.Then, Schindler and Sam do another Midseason Top-Five! This time, we do midseason Defensive Player of the Year race. They talk Jaren Jackson Jr., Bam Adebayo, Brook Lopez, and plenty more.Finally, Mark wants to talk a bit about Dariq Whitehead and Brandon Miller. We hit Whitehead as one of the hardest prospects to evaluate this year, and Miller's emergence into a top-five prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft this year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Seth Partnow joins the show! We'll start by talking about Rui Hachimura's deal to the Los Angeles Lakers, where the team acquired him for three second round picks. Then, we move on to other players at the trade deadline who could actually use a change of scenery, and where we'd most like to see them. Some of those players include Obi Toppin, John Collins, Malachi Flynn, Eric Gordon, Jaxson Hayes, and more!Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to rocketmoney.com/theoryGo to https://www.chime.com/theory to sign up for a Chime Credit Builder Visa Credit Card today! Thanks to Chime for supporting the show.Get PayPal Honey for FREE at joinhoney.com/theory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Spinella joins the show and we dive deep into two topics. First, we start by investigating something that has been seen as a done deal for years: are we positive that Scoot Henderson does not have a legitimate No. 1 overall case in the 2023 NBA Draft over Victor Wembanyama? The conversation is at least worth an investigation and discussion.Then, we do NBA Rookie of the Year Midseason Top-Five. With every team at least midway through the season, which rookies have truly stood out and become the players that have become difference-makers for their teams? We chat Paolo Banchero, Bennedict Mathurin, Walker Kessler, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA is loaded with terrific young players and a boatload of parity. It feels like a number of different teams could win a title within the next few years. Largely, that will depend on the development of certain key players acrosss the NBA. So today, I got with Mark Schindler, and we broke down six players who parts of their game that could swing title races in the next few years.What if Ja Morant learns to consistently take and make 3-pointers behind ball-screens when defenders go under in pick-and-roll coverage? What if Zion Williamson can make a spot-up jumper? What if Evan Mobley is a catch-and-shoot threat and the Cavs can play basically 5-out basketball? What if Michael Porter Jr. can process the game quickly as a passer and get more of a degree of control over the ball as a handler? All of these guys and more as we break down some of the things that could swing NBA championship races in the next few years.Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to rocketmoney

Andrew Schlecht is in the building and we chat about a very simple concept: who are the most teams to watch right now in the NBA? Who do you find yourself switching over to most often if you have some free time? You could see this as a "League Pass Rankings" or whatever, but we just want to dive into which teams we've having the most fun with, including the Kings, Grizzlies, and Cavaliers, among others. But first, we open on Alperen Sengun and his breakout game against the Lakers last night.Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to rocketmoney.com/theory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Spinella joins the show for his weekly Sunday appearance, and this week we're doing our monthly 2023 NBA Mock Draft Deep Dive! Join us as we dive deep into the top-30 selections, breaking down what we'd do in each spot as of mid-January, halfway through the yearly draft cycle. We'll dive into players like Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Brandon Miller, Cason Wallace, Nick Smith Jr, Jett Howard, Cam Whitmore, Brice Sensabaugh and many others.Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to rocketmoney.com/theory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parity is everywhere in the NBA this season, and it's made it extremely difficult to gauge exactly where exactly many teams across the league fall. So today, Mark Schindler joins the show, and we try to figure out what in the world is going on with the Clippers, Blazers, Knicks, Hawks, Pacers and more.Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/theoryGo to HelloFresh.com/theory22 and use code THEORY22 for 22 free meals plus free shipping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices