

Game Theory Podcast
Sam Vecenie
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 is has you covered in this show. And some thoughts on movies, too.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 4, 2025 • 53min
2026 NBA Draft Preview: Peterson, Boozer or Dybantsa at No.1? | Game Theory NBA Draft Show
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie is joined by Bryce Simon for a discussion about the 2026 NBA Draft, first looking about how to evaluate players in the early part of the college season. They then discuss the projected top 3 - Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or AJ Dybantsa - and whether there is an order/ranking they are currently leaning towards (18:30). SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:RIGHT NOW, TRADE IS EXCLUSIVELY OFFERING OUR LISTENERS 50% OFF YOUR ONE MONTH TRIAL AT DRINKTRADE.COM/GAME.START YOUR HAIR GROWTH JOURNEY WITH NUTRAFOL! FOR A LIMITED TIME, NUTRAFOL IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS TEN DOLLARS OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH’S SUBSCRIPTION AND FREE SHIPPING WHEN YOU GO TO NUTRAFOL.COM AND ENTER THE PROMO CODE “GAMETHEORY”THOUSANDS OF GUYS HAVE ALREADY USED RULA TO FINALLY GET THE CARE THEY NEEDED. DON’T KEEP PUTTING IT OFF - GO TO RULA.COM/GAMETHEORY AND GET STARTED TODAY. TAKE THE FIRST STEP, GET CONNECTED, AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nov 3, 2025 • 1h 30min
Ja Suspended , Trae Young Out & the Fun Chicago Bulls! | NBA Takeaways - Week 2 | Game Theory Podcast
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon give their 3 biggest takeaways from week 2 of the NBA season. Topics include: Ja Morant's suspension in Memphis, Trae Young's injury, the very fun Utah Jazz & Chicago Bulls, key players having trouble fitting in with their new teams & much more.04:47 - TAKEAWAY #1 - Ja Morant suspended, reaches "hingepoint" of Memphis career25:55 - TAKEAWAY #2 - East is more wide open than expected45:00 - TAKEAWAY #3 - The Chicago Bulls are incredibly fun1:01:06 - TAKEAWAY #4 - Integration issues for Cam Johnson, Dez Bane, Bradley Beal & others1:10:15 - TAKEAWAY #5 - How will the Hawks survive without Trae Young?1:20:00 - TAKEAWAY #6 - The Utah Jazz are, also, incredibly funSIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:RIGHT NOW, TRADE IS EXCLUSIVELY OFFERING OUR LISTENERS 50% OFF YOUR ONE MONTH TRIAL AT DRINKTRADE.COM/GAME.START YOUR HAIR GROWTH JOURNEY WITH NUTRAFOL! FOR A LIMITED TIME, NUTRAFOL IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS TEN DOLLARS OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH’S SUBSCRIPTION AND FREE SHIPPING WHEN YOU GO TO NUTRAFOL.COM AND ENTER THE PROMO CODE “GAMETHEORY”THOUSANDS OF GUYS HAVE ALREADY USED RULA TO FINALLY GET THE CARE THEY NEEDED. DON’T KEEP PUTTING IT OFF - GO TO RULA.COM/GAMETHEORY AND GET STARTED TODAY. TAKE THE FIRST STEP, GET CONNECTED, AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 31, 2025 • 2h 1min
Wemby and 5-0 Spurs! | Bucks 76ers, Magic are East’s Biggest Stories | Game Theory Podcast
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon react to the NBA games from last few days & discuss several of the emerging storylines from the start of the NBA season. This includes the 5-0 Spurs, the Miam Heat offense, the 76ers exciting start, the Bucks resurgence & much more!00:00 - INTRO01:55 - Spurs vs Heat: SAS is 5-0, is MIA's offense real?27:26 - Mizzen & Main!29:06 - Subscribe to the Game Theory Substack!31:24 - Bucks vs Warriors: Bucks are 4-0, Doc Rivers & Ryan Rollins praise!54:16 - Momentous!56:00 - Magic vs Hornets: ORL offenseive woes, CHA early struggles1:13:30 - 76ers are 4-0! How sustainable is this? Still stuck w/ Embiid/George contracts?1:34:17 - The Pelicans are a mess1:45:10 - Austin Reaves is good at basketball1:58:45 - OUTROSIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:RIGHT NOW, MIZZEN & MAIN IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS 20% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE AT MIZZENANDMAIN.COM, PROMO CODE GAME20.RIGHT NOW, MOMENTOUS IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER WITH PROMO CODE GAME. GO TO LIVEMOMENTOUS.COM AND USE PROMO CODE GAME FOR UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 27, 2025 • 1h 25min
Wemby's Legit MVP Chances, Sixers Fun Backcourt, WTF Mavs | NBA Week One Takeaways | Game Theory
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon go through their 3 biggest takeaways from the first week of NBA basketball * discuss how sustainable each takeaway for the rest of the NBA season. 08:50 - TAKEAWAY: NBA Defensive Pick Up Points seem higher up the court23:50 - TAKEAWAY: Victor Wembanyama is a legitmate MVP candidate34:59 - TAKEAWAY: NBA Rookie Class is much more ready NOW than expected45:30 - TAKEAWAY: Tyrese Maxey & VJ Edgecombe are the next great young & exciting NBA backcourt57:33 - TAKEAWAY: The Dallas Mavericks will be the first team to have a Players Only Meeting1:06:41 - TAKEAWAY: Ajay Mitchell of the OKC Thunder is the early front-runner for Most Improved PlayerSIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:RIGHT NOW, MIZZEN & MAIN IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS 20% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE AT MIZZENANDMAIN.COM, PROMO CODE GAME20.RIGHT NOW, MOMENTOUS IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER WITH PROMO CODE GAME. GO TO LIVEMOMENTOUS.COM AND USE PROMO CODE GAME FOR UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 24, 2025 • 2h 14min
OMG Wemby, Steph's Still Got It, VJ Edgecombe's Impressive Debut & Several Other NBA Opening 72-HR Takeaways (PLUS: Gambling Scandal Reactions) | Game Theory Podcast
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie is joined by Andrew Claudio to react to Thursday night's overtime thriller between the Warriors & Nuggets (2:10), as well as the NBA Finals rematch between the Thunder & Pacers that went to DOUBLE-overtime (20:00). Then they discuss the FBI arresting Blazers head coach Chanucey Billups & Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier as part of a pair of wide-ranging investigations related to illegal sports betting and rigged poker games 45:00). Finally, they go through several games from Wednesday night's slate & give their biggest takeaways from Spurs/Mavericks (1:15:00), 76ers/Celtics (1:35:00), Cavaliers/Knicks (1:50:00), Timberwolves/Blazers (1:58:00) & Heat/Magic (2:06:00).SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:RIGHT NOW, MIZZEN & MAIN IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS 20% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE AT MIZZENANDMAIN.COM, PROMO CODE GAME20.RIGHT NOW, MOMENTOUS IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER WITH PROMO CODE GAME. GO TO LIVEMOMENTOUS.COM AND USE PROMO CODE GAME FOR UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 22, 2025 • 1h 23min
NBA Opening Night! | HOU/OKC, GSW/LAL Reactions | PLUS: NBA Extensions Recap | Game Theory Podcast
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon react to the NBA's opening night double-overtime thriller in Oklahoma City between the Rockets & Thunder (1:30), as well as the Lebron-less edition of Warriors vs Lakers (36:00) before giving their thoughts on the remaining rookie contract extentions that were agreed to before Monday's deadline (45:00).SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:RIGHT NOW, MIZZEN & MAIN IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS 20% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE AT MIZZENANDMAIN.COM, PROMO CODE GAME20.RIGHT NOW, MOMENTOUS IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER WITH PROMO CODE GAME. GO TO LIVEMOMENTOUS.COM AND USE PROMO CODE GAME FOR UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 20, 2025 • 1h 54min
Who will WIN the 2026 NBA Title? | Plus KD, Blazers' Camara/Sharpe Extensions | Game Theory Podcast
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon react to some of the latest NBA news topics, from Kevin Durant's extension, the Grizzlies recent injuries, LIVE reaction to the Blazers extending Shaedon Sharpe & Toumani Camara & much more (3:17). Then, they give their team-based predictions for the 2025-26 NBA season, specifically best offense/defense (40:40), surprise conference finalist (1:08:00), NBA Finals predictions (1:41:00) and more!SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:RIGHT NOW, MIZZEN & MAIN IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS 20% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE AT MIZZENANDMAIN.COM, PROMO CODE GAME20.RIGHT NOW, MOMENTOUS IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER WITH PROMO CODE GAME. GO TO LIVEMOMENTOUS.COM AND USE PROMO CODE GAME FOR UP TO 35% OFF YOUR FIRST SUBSCRIPTION ORDER! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 17, 2025 • 1h 26min
BOLD PREDICTIONS for the 2025-26 NBA Season! | Game Theory Podcast
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon react to the latest NBA news before giving their 3 BOLDEST PREDICTIONS for the 2025-26 NBA season!02:00 - NBA EXTENSTIONS! Keegan Murray 5/140) & AJ Green (4/45)20:20 - NBA NEWS! Jaden Ivey's knee surgery, Spencer Dinwiddie released & Malcolm Brogdon retires from Knicks/NBA35:00 - BOLD PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2025-26 NBA SEASON!SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:START YOUR HAIR GROWTH JOURNEY WITH NUTRAFOL! FOR A LIMITED TIME, NUTRAFOL IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS TEN DOLLARS OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH’S SUBSCRIPTION AND FREE SHIPPING WHEN YOU GO TO NUTRAFOL.COM AND ENTER THE PROMO CODE “GAMETHEORY” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 13, 2025 • 2h 43min
MOCK DRAFT 1.0! | First look at the 2026 NBA Draft Class | Game Theory Podcast
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon conduct their first MOCK DRAFT for the 2026 NBA Draft Class! SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:START YOUR HAIR GROWTH JOURNEY WITH NUTRAFOL! FOR A LIMITED TIME, NUTRAFOL IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS TEN DOLLARS OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH’S SUBSCRIPTION AND FREE SHIPPING WHEN YOU GO TO NUTRAFOL.COM AND ENTER THE PROMO CODE “GAMETHEORY” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Oct 10, 2025 • 1h 41min
"Year of Giannis" Begins & the Projected Wins Draft! | Game Theory Podcast
In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie, Bryce Simon & Andrew Claudio react to the Lebron James injury news (5:09) & the Giannis/Knicks story from earlier this week (13:45) before taking part in the first ever Game Theory Projected Wins Draft (52:37).SIGN UP FOR BONUS NBA DRAFT FILM BREAKDOWNS & DISCUSSIONS ON SUBSTACK!CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FULL LIVE SHOW ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! SPONSORS:VISIT OUR PARTNERS OVER AT PRIZEPICKS TO GO SUPPORT THE SHOW! DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY AND USE CODE "GAMETHEORY" TO GET $50 INSTANTLY AFTER YOU PLAY YOUR FIRST $5 LINEUP!RIGHT NOW, MIZZEN & MAIN IS OFFERING OUR LISTENERS 20% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE AT MIZZENANDMAIN.COM, PROMO CODE GAME20. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


