Game Theory

Sam is joined by The Athletic's Andrew Schlecht to run through some weekly NBA awards including Team of the Week, Player of the Week, and Favorite Performance of the Week, before trying to figure out how the Thunder can whether the injury storm that just intensified with Chet Holmgren expected to miss 8-10 weeks. (00:00) Intro (05:00) Team of the Week (23:25) Player of the Week (29:50) Favorite Performance of the Week (40:20) The Thunder’s Path Forward

Sam is joined by The Athletic Daily’s Dave DuFour for an early rookie check-in on Dybantsa (00:00), Peterson (18:51), Boozer (28:22), and Wilson (35:34). Plus, they discuss the Mavs as the most fun team in the NBA right now (47:43), the Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum Celtics drama (1:06:39), Tyrese Haliburton’s latest injury (1:19:28), and what the Pelicans are doing with Herb Jones (1:27:17).

Sam is live after Tuesday's NBA slate to react to games, as well as a slew of early-season injuries including Anthony Edwards, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Jalen Suggs, and Jaren Jackson Jr. (00:00) Intro (04:20) Trail Blazers Beat Lakers (14:20) Pistons Beat Knicks (22:10) Injuries Ravage NBA (30:50) Anthony Edwards out for possibly two months? (36:05) Jaren Jackson Jr out for up to two months (40:10) Oklahoma City might be without Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace for the year; do they make a trade? (52:20) Voicemails! (52:50) Cooper Flagg, How Many Players Would you take to start a franchise over him? (1:01:40) What is Ron Holland's trade value? (1:06:20) Nets, is there anything to be excited about this season? (1:11:55) What is the Hawks ceiling with Onyeka Okongwu? (1:19:20) Outro

After Sunday's NBA action Sam is joined by Tyler Britton to look back on the first week of the NBA season and hand out some awards including, "Best Player Performance of the Week", "Most Surprising Team", "Most Concerning Team", and more. They also talk a bit about the injuries to Jalen Suggs and Jalen Williams that looked pretty bad on Sunday night. (00:00) Intro (02:00) Jalen Williams and Jalen Suggs injured; What does Oklahoma City do now? (10:00) Houston Rockets, Team of the Week (18:05) Minnesota Timberwolves, Team of the Week (28:00) Paul George Best Performance of the Week (29:55) Luka Doncic Best Performance of the Week plus Lakers Talk (40:55) Ty Jerome, Favorite Performance of the Week (46:35) Amen Thompson, Favorite Performance of the Week (52:20) Philadelphia 76ers, Most Surprising Team of the Week (57:10) Detroit Pistons, Most Surprising Team of the Week (1:05:20) New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Most Disappointing Team (1:10:20) Miami Heat, Most Disappointing Team (1:29:39) Phoenix Suns, Most Concerned (1:30:20) Golden State Warriors Most Concerning Team (1:45:50) Outro and where to find Tyler Britton!

Sam is LIVE directly after Nuggets-Thunder to discuss SGA vs. Jokic, 76ers-Cavaliers, and the best parts of Day 2 of the NBA season! (00:00) Intro (03:00) Thunder Beat Nuggets, Thoughts on OKC's Defense, Denver's Offense (23:55) 76ers Beat Cavaliers in Massive Comeback, Plus Philadelphia Offense Thoughts (42:40) Lakers Destroy Warriors with Luka vs. Yaxel Lendeborg taking Center Stage (56:50) Grizzlies Dominate Jazz Behind Ty Jerome's 45 (1:09:30) Timberwolves Dominate Heat Behind Anthony Edwards' 45 points (1:20:10) Trail Blazers Blow Away Suns, Listener Voicemails Start! (1:29:02) Voicemail on Who Will Be the Best NBA Coach Among Current Players? (1:37:09) Outro

Sam is joined by Ryen Russillo to recap to NBA Opening Night! They react to Celtics-Pistons, 76ers-Knicks, and Thunder Spurs. (00:00) Intro (03:15) Thunder beat Spurs on Opening Night (17:20) 76ers beat Knicks after Ring Ceremony (35:40) Celtics blow big lead vs Pistons (54:25) Why calling winning the possession battle is not some new idea in basketball (1:03:55) Brandon Miller, Jaden McDaniels, Cason Wallace Extensions (1:10:10) Is it a good idea to bet on shooting-only prospects in the NBA Draft? (1:22:40) Outro

Sam and Terrence Ogelsby discuss the Top 10 NBA offenses and defenses including the Thunder, Spurs, Wolves, Celtics, Heat and plenty others. Then, we take a look at the 2026-27 college basketball season and NBA Draft from a watchability perspective. What teams and players do NBA fans need to know? (00:00) Intro (08:00) Top 10 NBA offense predictions (25:00) Top 10 NBA defense predictions (36:30) NBA draft watchability index (1:19:45) Bryce Simon joins

Sam is joined by The Athletic's Eric Nehm to discuss the Brandin Podziemski and Payton Pritchard extensions before predicting the 2026-27 NBA Awards! Can Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, or Luka Doncic challenge Shai for MVP? Can anyone challenge Wemby for DPOY? (00:00) Intro (00:40) Payton Pritchard extension (08:55) Brandin Podziemski extension (16:40) NBA Award voting (21:30) MVP (40:25) Surprise All-NBA players (45:50) Rookie of the Year (54:35) All Rookie Team (57:50) Defensive Player of The Year (1:02:15) Most Improved Player (1:07:25) Sixth Man of the Year (1:09:25) Coach of the Year

Sam is joined by Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports do to the first NBA mock draft of the season! (00:00) Intro (09:33) 1 - Tyran Stokes (19:40) 2 - Stefan Joksimovic (25:00) 3 - Jordan Smith Jr. (31:50) 4 - Caleb Holt (35:50) 5 - Bruce Branch III (40:45) 6 - Anthony Thompson (43:40) 7 - Quentin Coleman (46:55) 8 - Ivan Kharchenkov (49:05) 9 -Thomas Haugh (52:35) 10 - Motiejus Krivas (55:45) 11 - Caleb Gaskins (1:00:25) 12 - Amari Allen (1:02:55) 13 - JJ Andrews (1:06:00) 14 - Patrick Ngongba (1:08:25) 15 - Dame Sarr (1:13:45) 16 - David Mirkovic (1:18:45) 17 - Alijah Arenas (1:24:30) 18 - Braylon Mullins (1:27:20) 19 - Abdou Toure (1:29:35) 20 - Trey McKenney (1:32:45) 21 - Malachi Moreno (1:34:00) 22 - Tyler Tanner (1:37:50) 23 - Jason Crowe Jr. (1:39:55) 24 - Austin Goosby (1:42:00) 25 - Colben Landrew (1:46:15) 26 - Dash Daniels (1:49:30) 27 - Neo Avdalas (1:51:40) 28 - Billy Richmond (1:54:00) 29 - Hugo Yimga-Moukoura (1:56:10) 30 - Tounde Yessoufou (1:59:00) Honorable mentions

Sam Vecenie is joined by Jason Timpf of @HoopsTonight to go through win total over/unders for every team in the Western Conference with help from DraftKings Sportsbook. We talk Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets, whether Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball will work well together for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and more. (00:00) INTRO (03:50) Oklahoma City Thunder (15:35) San Antonio Spurs (29:35) Denver Nuggets (39:41) Minnesota Timberwolves (49:27) Houston Rockets (56:20) Los Angeles Lakers (1:06:58) Portland Trail Blazers (1:14:05) Phoenix Suns (1:18:05) Golden State Warriors (1:24:30) Utah Jazz (1:30:45) Dallas Mavericks (1:35:44) Memphis Grizzlies (1:39:45) Los Angeles Clippers (1:42:20) New Orleans Pelicans (1:51:22) Sacramento Kings (1:56:50) RECAP

Sam is joined by The Athletic's Es Baraheni to go through win total over/unders for every team in the Eastern Conference. (00:00) INTRO (04:18) Knicks (18:05) Celtics (30:10) 76ers (42:20) Pistons (51:05) Cavaliers (57:15) Raptors (1:05:45) Heat (1:11:00) Pacers (1:18:25) Hawks (1:24:50) Magic (1:31:35) Hornets (1:35:00) Wizards (1:43:20) Bulls (1:47:50) Bucks (1:53:03) Nets (1:59:35) RECAP

Sam is joined by Grant Liffmann of NBC Sports to discuss the ongoing contract battle between the Pistons and Jalen Duren. Then, they look ahead to some of the biggest players who could hit free agency after this season, as well as some potential trade candidates. Plus, they do a rapid-fire round covering the biggest question mark for every contender. (00:00) Intro (01:00) Jalen Duren saga from a front office perspective (13:45) Brandon Ingram’s Achilles injury (17:15) Jamal Shead’s $24M extension (18:30) New team-building trends (21:40) How will new draft lottery rules affect the trade deadline? (28:15) Possible big-name future free agents (31:40) Rudy Gobert (34:00) Michael Porter Jr. (42:10) Tyler Herro (46:45) Are the Warriors big-game hunting at the deadline? (52:40) LA Clippers (1:02:00) Speed Round: Biggest question marks for title contenders

Sam Vecenie is joined by Bryce Simon to draft the NBA names that could totally swing their team's 2026-27 season, including Paolo Banchero, LaMelo Ball, Walker Kessler, and many others. We'll also talk some injuries to Charlotte Hornets' stars, a Buddy Hield for Rob Dillingham trade, and Stephen Curry's contract extension. (00:00) INTRO (03:35) Steph Curry’s extension (09:45) Buddy Hield / Rob Dillingham trade (17:45) Hornets injuries piling up (20:45) TOP 10 NBA X-FACTORS (23:50) LaMelo Ball (34:38) Paolo Banchero (40:10) Bam Adebayo (56:00) Fed Van Vleet (1:03:10) Tyrese Haliburton (1:10:10) Kyrie Irving (1:20:00) Jaren Jackson Jr. (1:26:30) Mitchell Robinson (1:35:05) Walker Kessler (1:40:30) Christian Braun

Sam is joined by The Athletic's Dave DuFour to discuss the tense contract standoff between Jalen Duren and the Pistons, and Karl-Anthony Towns' stalled extension talks with the Knicks, before creating the NBA Watchability Index where Sam and Dave highlight their 10 most watchable NBA teams for this upcoming season. (00:00) Intro (02:20) Jalen Duren saga continues (14:35) Karl-Anthony Towns stalled extension talks (24:30) NBA Watchability Index (27:10) Philadelphia 76ers (38:45) Minnesota Timberwovles (49:15) San Antonio Spurs (59:34) New York Knicks (1:06:08) Toronto Raptors (1:11:49) Utah Jazz (1:19:40) Indiana Pacers (1:25:25) Los Angeles Lakers (1:33:32) Washington Wizards (1:45:15) Oklahoma City Thunder

Sam opens by talking about his move to team up with Russillo and Barstool and what people can expect from the new version of the show! Then, Bryce Simon joins to react to a bunch of guys getting new contracts, including Keyonte George and Ausar Thompson, before going through the top 10 rookies they’re most excited to watch this season. (0:15) Sam on teaming up with Russillo and Barstool CONTRACT EXTENSIONS (8:00) Keyonte George (18:48) Ausar Thompson (27:42) Jalen Duren (35:10) Pelle Larsson EXCITING ROOKIES (41:20) Caleb Wilson (50:48) Cam Boozer (57:30) Darryn Peterson (1:03:25) AJ Dybantsa (1:10:10) Keaton Wagler (1:15:03) Brayden Burries (1:20:37) Darius Acuff (1:25:02) Yaxel Lendeborg (1:27:52) Mikel Brown Jr. (1:32:38) Cameron Carr

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon going through the 2023 Draft Class & prediction all potential rookie extensions for each eligible player ahead of next months deadline. (0:00) INTRO (1:00) Mock Rookie Extensions (Preview) (11:30) Brandon Miller (27:16) Scoot Henderson (37:18) Amen Thompson (reaction to his extension) (39:28) Ausar Thompson (53:25) Anthony Black (1:04:10) Bilal Coulibaly (1:15:27) Jarace Walker (1:19:46) Taylor Hendricks (1:21:24) Cason Wallace (1:36:20) Dereck Lively II (1:39:10) Gradey Dick, Jordan Hawkins, Kobe Bufkin (1:39:50) Keyonte George (1:53:43) Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2:01:10) Brandin Podziemski (2:11:39) Noah Clowney (2:14:30) Remaining Potential Extensions (2:22:23) OUTRO CHECK OUT THE ⁠⁠VIDEO VERSION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY ⁠⁠YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Pablo Torre Clippers investigation has come to a final conclusion, where the Clippers have received the worst punishment in NBA history. The Athletic's Law Murray joins the show to discuss what this all means, why the league came down so hard on the Clippers, and where the team goes from here. CHECK OUT THE ⁠⁠VIDEO VERSION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY ⁠⁠YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sam Vecenie, a Senior NBA Writer at The Athletic, talks all about basketball. From the NBA, to the NBA Draft, to college hoops and even some high school, Vecenie has you covered in this show. (00:00) INTRO (2:10) Peyton Watson signed & traded to Cavaliers in 3-team trade (Max Strus to LAC) (29:09) What's next for Denver after losing Peyton Watson? (48:04) Jonathan Kuminga signs with Timberwolves (1:07:30) Quince! (1:09:05) Shopify! (1:10:21) Josh Green traded to Jazz for Cody Williams & John Konchar (1:23:50) Klay Thompson signs with Heat (1:34:04) Bennedict Mathurin signs with Pelicans (1:43:04) OUTRO CHECK OUT THE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠VIDEO VERSION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie is joined by Bryce Simon to continue their annual countdown of the best defenders in the NBA today! Here in part 2, they go from #12 to #1 (if you missed part 1 counting down #25 to #13, check out the previous episode that aired last Sunday).

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie is joined by Bryce Simon for their annual countdown of the best defenders in the NBA today! Here in part 1, they cover #25 to #13 (the rest of the list can be heard in part 2 next Sunday).