Game Theory Podcast

Andrew Schlecht joins the podcast, and we discuss a fun topic today: how do NBA teams keep fans engaged when the team is tanking? On top of that, how do you be a fan of a rebuilding team? The Oklahoma City Thunder have done a great job of both this season, featuring in the top half of all NBA teams in local TV ratings while also putting a fun, exciting product on the floor while losing, so Schlecht joins the show to break down what they've done right. On top of it, we then create a to-do list for all teams and fans for how to create an exciting tanking situation that keeps everyone enthusiastic about the product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tony Jones joins the show with Sam Vecenie to give some fun bold predictions for the rest of the 2022 NBA season in the Western Conference! This is the second part of a two-part episode. The Eastern Conference with Dave DuFour came earlier in the week.In this episode, Sam and Dave bounce back hot takes about the way the rest of the Western Conference season will go. Will the Pelicans get Zion Williamson answers? Can the Lakers do anything to end the season? Will Mikal Bridges win Defensive Player of the Year? Will the Jazz have playoff success? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie in this episode to mock the 2022 NBA Draft by doing a mock draft. At first, we dive deep on the depth of the 2022 draft, breaking down the class as a whole. Then, we make 30 picks. All of the first round. It's fun! See where Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith, Jaden Ivey, and plenty more end up! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dave DuFour joins the show with Sam Vecenie to give some fun bold predictions for the rest of the 2022 NBA season in the Eastern Conference! This is the first part of a two-part episode, with the second part coming on Wednesday on the Western Conference. In this episode, Sam and Dave bounce back hot takes about the way the rest of the Eastern Conference season will go. Giannis for MVP? Chicago out in the playoffs early? DeMar DeRozan makes the Hall of Fame on the back of this season? The Cavaliers fall to the play-in tournament? Or the Cavaliers rise to the No. 1 seed? Boston makes a run and wins two playoff series? All those takes and more, including a random aside on Nikola Jokic and his elite play so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie to break down the 2022 NBA Draft by answering 21 Questions to re-set the process as we get beyond the Super Bowl and basketball starts to take center stage in the consciousness.1. What is your overall thought on the 2022 NBA Draft as we get past the Super Bowl and into the part of the year where everything starts to focus on basketball?2. Who are the contenders for the No. 1 overall pick?3. Chet Holmgren is dominating. Do we chalk this up to playing in the WCC or genuine improvement throughout the year?4. Paolo Banchero has slowed down just a bit from his early dominance, averaging 14.9 points on 14.9 shots per game over his last seven. Is he still a candidate?5. What makes Jabari Smith such an elite prospect?6. Whether or not you agree, scouts generally have Jaden Ivey as the clear top guard prospect. Do you think Purdue's scheme holds him back in terms of production and efficiency, or do you think believe that he's just a bit limited skill wise?7. Who has been

Sam Vecenie is joined by a pair of awesome guests to break down one of the most action-packed NBA Trade Deadlines in recent memory. First, Michael Levin of The Rights to Ricky Sanchez and TV writer fame joins to break down the Ben Simmons-James Harden deal, the biggest midseason trade that has happened in the NBA in a long time. Then, Mo Dakhil joins to break down the rest of the NBA Trade Deadline. We chat Simmons-Harden for a bit at the top, then move to the Kristaps Porzingis move, the Derrick White trade to Boston, the four-teamer involving Donte Divincenzo and Marvin Bagley, the Thad Young-Goran Dragic deal and everything else that occurred -- or in the Lakers case, did not occur -- on a wild deadline day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie to dive deep into the trades that have occurred in the NBA thus far at the deadline. They start with the Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis deal. They talk a lot about the Kings, and what exactly their plan is here. Then they move to the McCollum deal, one that seems almost impossible to evaluate without knowing the context of where Zion Williamson is in his recovery. Finally, they talk Levert, and he figures to help Cleveland.Then they move to Chet Holmgren, and discuss how the Gonzaga center has upended the Race for No. 1 in our weekly segment. They get into the center crop of Walker Kessler, Mark Williams and Christian Koloko next, wondering if the two of us are collectively underrating that trio given their relatively high floors. Finally, they move to Prospects of the Week, and some final Oscars nominations talk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sam Vecenie is joined by The Athletic contributor and pro basketball player Cole Huff to run through some things within the NBA. They start on the Norman Powell/Robert Covington/Keon Johnson deal briefly, then they move to the Wizards being kind of a mess. Should Bradley Beal ask out? What should the team do at the deadline? They then chat about 76ers and the Nets potentially talking again about a Ben Simmons-James Harden swap, they give a fake trade that might make some sense, then discuss whether or not such a trade makes sense. How would Simmons and Harden fit in their respective situations? Then they chat about the Lakers, and they finish on some of their favorite players to watch right now league-wide -- including a discussion on guards Darius Garland and Jalen Brunson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Matt Pennie is here and Sam is sick with vaccine side effects! They trudge through anyway, diving deep on a few topics. First, they break down the race to be the first guard selected in the 2022 NBA Draft. Is it Wisconsin's Johnny Davis, or Purdue's Jaden Ivey?Then, we move to the race to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. We recap Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren's weeks, or look forward to what they have coming up. We move on to a group of freshmen that have stood out in recent weeks, including Peyton Watson, Max Christie, Jeremy Sochan, AJ Griffin and Josh Minott. Finally, we close on mailbag questions, which were awesome this week. And on our Game Theory Prospects of the Week, Justin Lewis from Marquette and DaRon Holmes from Dayton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Edwards from The Athletic joins the show! We break down a few items from the NBA Trade Deadline market, including the Kings apparently being out on Ben Simmons and the Pacers setting a hilarious Caris LeVert price tag, per reports. Then, we chat about the All-Star teams. We break down the All-Star starters that were named in the East and West last night, including the Andrew Wiggins inclusion. Then, we make our picks for All-Star reserves, including what is an absolute bloodbath in the East and a pretty straight forward choice in the West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie to run through a million things. First, we start with the Ben Simmons/James Harden rumors that have percolated in the last 24 hours. Then, we move to the Shaedon Sharpe report, and what makes him such an interesting prospect for the 2022 NBA Draft if he is eligible and decides to go down that route. Then we talk #PennieFieldTrip, where this weekend Pennie went to Auburn-Kentucky, a G League Ignite game, and an OTE game. We break down Walker Kessler, Jabari Smith, the Auburn crowd, Jaden Hardy, Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp, Michael Foster, the OTE experience, Jean Montero, Dom Barlow and more. We close with mailbag questions and our two Game Theory Prospects of the week, Isiaih Mosley from Missouri State and Colby Jones from Xavier. Then we talk "Random Movies Sam sees on TV while searching for Australian Sports." We close on Yellowjackets for a 10-minute, spoiler-ridden conversation that goes from 1:35:00 to 1:48:00. Then a late breaking addition to the pod co

The Athletic's Jared Weiss joins Sam Vecenie to talk about the NBA Trade Deadline, giving a deep dive on where the market stands by talking about the teams and players that will shape this season's event. We dive deep into the following players: Ben Simmons, Myles Turner, Caris LeVert, Jerami Grant, Eric Gordon , Marcus Smart, Talen Horton Tucker, Buddy Hield, Robert Covington, Joe Ingles, and Kenrich Williams as a stand-in for all of the guys under the radar who could help teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie where they draft college hoops. Particularly, if you had to win a game tomorrow, who would you pick in college hoops? We dive deep, and select eight players each that we would use to fill out a lineup and bench. Team Pennie vs. Team Vecenie: Who You Got?Also, we do a mailbag section with questions on Christian Braun, most shocking NBA Draft picks we can remember, the player ranked in the 20s most likely to become a lottery pick, and the worst movie we've seen. Also, Game Theory Prospects of the Week: Mark Williams from Duke, and Iverson Molinar from Mississippi State. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of the month! It's Mock Draft SZN. In this episode, Matt Pennie and Sam Vecenie trade off picks, deep diving into the 2022 NBA Draft. We deep dive into players like Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivey, Johnny Davis, Keegan Murray, TyTy Washington, Blake Wesley, Ochai Agbaji, Dyson Daniels, Jaden Hardy, and plenty others as we run through 30 picks over two hours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fred Katz joins Sam Vecenie to hand out some Game Theory midseason NBA hardware! Fred joins and we run give out our ballots for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved, and Sixth Man of the Year, while also doing All-NBA and All-Defense at the end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Seth Partnow joins Sam Vecenie to re-draft the 2019 NBA Draft! Should Ja Morant have gone No. 1 overall, or Zion Williamson? Is Darius Garland a future all-star? Tyler Herro or Jordan Poole? R.J. Barrett or De'Andre Hunter? How has this draft gone so poorly in terms of providing value thus far? What happened? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie on the show this week to break down the NBA's rookie class at the midway point of the 2021-22 NBA season. They start with asking the simple question: who has been the best rookie in the 2021-22 NBA rookie class? They talk Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs, Cade Cunningham, Franz Wagner, Josh Giddey and plenty more.Then, they answer mailbag questions, including ones on Keegan Murray and EJ Liddell, Johnny Davis and the best prospect games we've seen this year, and freshmen who are having a tough season. Finally, they recognize prospects of the week, Dereon Seabron and Kellan Grady. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie after a stint in the health and safety protocols.First, they spend 20 minutes chatting about the Boston Celtics. Why are they a mess? What can they do to fix it? How should they go about building this roster long-term?Then, they move to 2022 NBA Draft Wings. First, they break down who they believe to be the top wing in the 2022 NBA Draft, a conversation about Arizona's Benn Mathurin and Baylor's Kendall Brown. Next, they break down a bunch of other wings, including Johnny Davis, AJ Griffin, Ochai Agbaji, MarJon Beauchamp, Trevor Keels, Blake Wesley, Bryce McGowens and Max Christie, Peyton Watson, Caleb Houstan, Harrison Ingram, and more.They close with the Game Theory Prospects of the Week, Aminu Mohammed and Tari Eason; And finally, with draft mailbag questions, including stuff on the Cleveland Cavaliers vs the Memphis Grizzlies; Jonathan Kuminga; and Analytics in Draft Analysis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kyle Mann from The Ringer joins Sam Vecenie to chat about the NBA. We start by talking about the craziest fanbases and explain why we think fans have such an attachment to the subject that Kyle and I hold near and dear to our heart: young players. Then, I pitch him my two favorite Ben Simmons trade ideas.Then we actually get to the point of what we wanted to talk about after 25 minutes. We chat about NBA teams that have given us joy this season. Particularly, we end up spending a lot of time talking about the Cavaliers, who have been incredible, and the Grizzlies, who are so fun even without Ja Morant.Then we close with a little bit of NBA Draft talk, including some thoughts on Kyle's beloved Kentucky Wildcats and TyTy Washington, as well as some stuff on the first overall pick race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Matt Pennie out due to family obligations for the holidays, Sam Vecenie is here for a solo mailbag episode to answer some of your questions about the 2022 NBA Draft. The listeners asked great questions, including: -How does the top-four in the 2022 NBA Draft compare to 2021's top-four? -How does Jalen Duren compare to other lottery big guys?-How good is Johnny Davis and where is he ranked?-Who is the best guard defender in the class? -What to do with the Detroit Pistons?And many more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices