Game Theory Podcast

Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie to dive DEEP into the first and second rounds of the 2022 NCAA Tournament! We jump in about St. Peter's and how they've found success under Shaheen Holloway, then dive into some draft prospects. Who succeeded and failed in their auditions for NBA teams? Who was the player that helped themselves most? We talk Chet Holmgren and his game against Memphis, Jabari Smith against Miami, Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Johnny Davis, Benn Mathurin and Arizona, Tennessee and Michigan, Malaki Branham and plenty more. Then, we look forward to the weekend, and what games we're most excited to see this weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is one of the best NBA seasons ever, and it's because the star power across the league is playing at the highest level imaginable. The league has never been deeper with stars than it is right now. For 20 minutes, Danny Leroux joins the show and we talk about all of the utterly elite performances we're seeing on a nightly basis from Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Giannis, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Steph prior to his injury, LeBron, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka, Trae Young, Darius Garland, Ja Morant and all of the other amazing players who have continued to step up league wide. Then, we talk about the MVP race between Jokic, Embiid and Giannis, and finished with some talk about the weird Defensive Player of the Year race, which is littered with injuries from the best candidates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sam Vecenie and Matt Pennie are here to break down all of the NCAA Tournament Bracket reveal. We run through region by region, breaking down all of the matchups, the NBA prospects, the big picture takeaways, and more from an eventful Sunday in sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Matt Pennie joins Sam Vecenie and they talk about eight players who have the most to gain or lose as March Madness gets going. The first of those names is Chet Holmgren, and they start with 20 minutes on the conversation surrounding Chet, including why he's such a monster and why the conversation needs to shift from what he doesn't have to how complete his game is. (0:00-20:00)Then, they chat about Ochai Agbaji, Jaden Ivey, AJ Griffin, TyTy Washington, Tari Eason, Dalen Terry, Alondes Williams and Jake LaRavia. (20:00-42:00Then, they talk NBA Draft Prospects of the Week: Ryan Rollins at Toledo and Matthew Murrell at Ole Miss. (42:00-50:00). Then, they answer mailbag questions (50:00-1:00:00). Finally they close with 15 minutes on The Batman, a fantastic new entry into the series of Batman films from Matt Reeves (1:00:00-end). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Sam Vecenie is joined by Matt Pennie to answer questions regarding the 2022 NBA Draft as we head into March Madness. We start by addressing the MANY rumors that he is a candidate to take over as head coach at his alma mater, UMass.Then we actually dive into draft questions. We address weaknesses that the top pick candidates have in 2022, the best teams to watch in the NCAA Tournament for NBA fans, the players most likely to spike up the board come March Madness. In all, I think we answered over 30 questions in 90 minutes, so we covered a lot of ground! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 the clear breakout prospect of the 2022 NBA Draft cycle?8. Shaedon Sharpe is the 2022 NBA Draft cycle wild card. Where would he be ranked if he enters this process?9. The G League Ignite has a group of players this year that could end up being draft picks. Who is the best of that group, and is this a particularly interesting crop of players?10. Can we expect much from the international class this year?11. Overtime Elite: How is the first year going, and are there interesting prospects there?12. How deep do we believe the 2022 NBA Draft is?13. In that vein, it seems like there is a bizarre mix this year of players who are upperclassmen and more ready to play but with lower upsides, and freshmen who are high-upside but total wild cards. What do scouts do with this?14. What do players do with this? Should these players who aren't actually ready for the NBA try to learn on the job as pros? What kind of risk factor do they have?15. Who do you see as being the player that is being undervalued right now? Is there a potential lottery guy hiding in plain sight?16. For a non-college basketball fan, which teams could they tune into in order to learn the most about this class? Are there teams that play enough of an interesting schedule, or have enough interesting prospects to make such a viewing experience worthwhile?17. Heading into the NCAA Tournament and conference touranmetns, what players do you think can really emerge, given there is SO MUCH opportunity for such emergences?18. Mailbag question19. Mailbag question20. Mailbag question21. Have you watched any movies/TV shows this week? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 comes at the end, when they talk Chris Mack and Louisville consciously uncoupling, per a report from The Athletic's Seth Davis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Pennie and Sam Vecenie's weekly draft episode, where this week they explore the simple question: Where have all the lead guards gone in the 2022 NBA Draft? Why is this group of lead guards so bad compared to past drafts? We dive deep on Alabama's JD Davison, Tennessee's Kennedy Chandler, and Kentucky's TyTy Washington. Then, we move to mailbag questions. How often do the two of us look at Draft Twitter? Where would Emoni Bates be taken in the 2022 NBA Draft? How would we rank the Arizona prospects: Bennedict Mathurin, Christian Koloko, Azuolas Tubelis and Dalen Terry? Finally, we finish with our Game Theory NBA Draft Prospects of the Week. Pennie's is Terrence Shannon Jr from Texas Tech, and Sam's is Pete Nance from Northwestern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dave DuFour from The Athletic is here, and we preview the NBA's impending trade period. Who could be on the move? We start with the Danny Ainge news, that he's taking over the Jazz' front office. Then, we break down the Celtics situation and explain why the Jaylen Brown trade rumors are silly; we move into Ben Simmons discussions, and Sam gives a couple of interesting potential trade constructions there; we chat Jerami Grant and the Pistons; Cam Reddish and the Hawks; some weird Pacers constructions; and way more.Also, go subscribe to the Game Theory YouTube page! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's draft episode is a deep dive into the top-four prospects in the class: Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith and Jaden Ivey. We also debut a new mailbag segment, and name prospects of the week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Jovan Buha of The Athletic joins the show. We start with 20 minutes on the Pacers, following a report that the team is finally willing to look into trading some of its core players including Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. We take a look at few trade constructions and situations that could make sense.Then, we move to the Lakers. What a weird Lakers season so far. Jovan and I dive deep into everything we've seen from Los Angeles thus far, including the Russell Westbrook fit, the lack of continuity lineup wise due to absences, the defensive issues on the perimeter, and the question of Frank Vogel as coach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Danny Leroux and I dive deep into the Portland Trail Blazers, discussing what in the world that organization is doing following what has undeniably been a messy start to the season. Do they try to shake things up with some moves, or do they stick with the status quo given that the Western Conference is a mess and Damian Lillard hasn't even gotten going yet?Then, Danny and I chat about the rest of the Western Conference, with special focus on the middle teams. We play a little game of Buy/Sell/Hold teams in the West, including the Lakers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Clippers, Grizzlies, Spurs, and Trail Blazers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A full episode of the Game Theory Podcast! Anthony Slater from The Athletic joins, and we break down Michael Porter Jr.'s third back surgery and how it affects the Nuggets. Brook Lopez' back surgery and how it affects the Bucks. Bam Adebayo's thumb surgery and whether or not the Heat should be worried about the play-in.Then, we get into the meat of the episode, and break down the two best teams in the NBA, the Warriors and Suns. We spend time waxing poetically about Deandre Ayton and the Suns' defense. Then, we chat about the Warriors, the impending return of Klay Thompson, the weird situation surrounding James Wiseman, and more. We also close on the Timberwolves, where I make a bold prediction regarding the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Pennie joins Sam to run through some important questions about prospects, including the Scoot Henderson breakout; the Gonzaga-Duke game from over the long weekend; and Emoni Bates' struggles early in the season. We also run through the other G League Ignite prospects, including Jaden Hardy, Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beacuhamp, and Michael Foster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Pennie is here with Sam to talk a little NBA Draft. We each pose four Fact or Fiction-style questions to each other without any prep, and dive deep into the NBA Draft. Your eight statements that are decided upon in terms of fact/fiction-This is the best start to a college basketball season in the last decade-Jaden Ivey has solidified himself as a top-five pick in the 2022 NBA Draft-Kendall Brown has solidified himself as a top-8 guy in the 2022 NBA Draft-Max Christie is the first Michigan prospect taken in the 2022 NBA Draft-Tyrese Hunter is a better prospect than Kennedy Chandler-The 2022 NBA Draft Class has the worst lead guard crop since the 2015 NBA Draft-Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren are the only two players that have a real shot to go No 1 overall-Chet Holmgren is not the only 2022 first round pick on the Gonzaga Bulldogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 21 Questions Covered: Are the Golden State Warriors the NBA title favorites? Fact or fiction? From the mid-point of last year onward, Stephen Curry has been the best player in the NBA It seems like there is a consistent outrage economy right now surrounding the Brooklyn Nets. The Brooklyn Nets are also 11-5, and currently tied for the first place in the Eastern Conference. How do we feel about the Nets right now, and do we think something is off or that they're fine? The Phoenix Suns are on a 10-game winning streak and look like a buzzsaw again because of Chris Paul. Are we ever going to see someone like Paul again? A small point who lasts into his late 30s and dominates games in this way. How are the Washington Wizards doing this? Which team of the following are you most panicked about? Milwaukee, Boston, Atlanta We're about one-fifth of the way through the season. Who is the team that decides at the deadline that it's time to break up some of their core and make a big trade that acts more as a "seller." Okay, the obligatory three minutes that every podcast must do on Ben Simmons. It feels like this thing goes through cycles of pressure, and that the pressure has been ratcheted down again. A deal isn't close now, but do we think Simmons finishes the season as a Sixer, and what is a potential move that actually makes sense? But speaking of Simmons, the 76ers have a burgeoning star right now in Tyrese Maxey. How has Maxey gone about making this leap into looking like the point guard of the future for the 76ers? The closest team to you for the last couple of years has been San Antonio, so you've gotten a close look at DeMar DeRozan when everyone seemed to tune the Spurs out. Do we think that like, people just weren't watching how good he was last year? Why do people seem to be surprised that he's been as great as he's been in Chicago? The hardest team for me to figure out in the NBA right now is the Dallas Mavericks. They are 9-5. Ostensibly, they're winning games. They are also below the league average in both offense and defense, have a negative point differential, and Luka Doncic hasn't quite worked his way back into the peak of his powers. Are you buying or selling the Mavericks long-term? The Clippers are 9-6 and holding steady without Kawhi. Is there a more important player to his team in the NBA right now than Paul George? Who is the most fun team in the NBA, and why is it the Memphis Grizzlies? Who is the least fun team in the NBA right now, and why is it the New Orleans Pelicans? Every season since 1991, there have been at least two players who have never made the All-NBA team make the team for the first time. Who are your picks for those two players this year? Every year since 2006, there has been at least one new player to make the All-Defense team int he NBA. Who is your pick among players that have never made All-Defense? The Lakers are 25th in offensive rating, and are only 8-8 despite playing the fifth-easiest schedule thus far in the league. Do we think the problems expand beyond "no LeBron James" for the Lakers, or is it just a matter of getting him back and starting to roll? The Nuggets have no Michael Porter Jr. and no Jamal Murray. They are shooting 30 percent from 3. How in the world does this team still have a winning record? How do we think the Neil Olshey inquiry ends following the "fair and independent review" of the workplace environment that he has fostered since running the Trail Blazers? The Cavs are starting to come back down to earth with losses to Boston, Brooklyn and Golden State. Do you believe it's important for them to compete this year, or is it fine if they are still a year away given that they seem to have found the actual organizational centerpiece in Evan Mobley? Have you accepted Pokuism, the belief that Aleksej Pokusevski is your basketball lord and savior? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's back! Pennie and Vecenie go back and forth, doing a deep dive on the 2022 NBA Draft, Mock Draft style, making picks out to No. 30 back and forth in an exercise that will almost assuredly make us look dumb as soon as next week, given this draft class. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Pennie is here to record a first reaction episode to the Champions' Classic on the NBA Draft. We dive into Paolo Banchero, Trevor Keels and Ochai Agbaji as well as all of the many other prospects who played on Tuesday in the opener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rob Dauster joins to run through everything you need to know about the 2021-22 college basketball season, 21 Questions style. College basketball is older than it's been in years due to the decision to grant an extra year of eligibility. Does that mean we think the quality will be better? What is your favorite preseason bet on winning the national title? Who is your national player of the Year pick? Do we buy the Gonzaga hype? ACC: This is Coach K's farewell season. Will you miss him? And do we think this Duke team has a chance to actually win the title given that they are ranked top-five in the preseason? ACC: Is the ACC kind of down this year? I have no first round prospects in the ACC right now outside of Duke. Duke is the only top-20 KenPom team at 10. Big East: Are we sure that Villanova is by far the favorite? Who is the No. 2 team in the Big East? Big Ten: The Big 10 is definitely the best league, right? Michigan, Illinois, Purdue and Ohio State look loaded. Maryland and Michigan State are talented. Big Ten: Kofi Cockburn, Trevion Williams, Hunter Dickinson, EJ Liddell, Trayce Jackson Davis, Zach Edey, even Keegan Murray to an extent. Can you remember the last time a league had this many great bigs? Big 12: Am I missing something on Kansas? Big 12: this race feels totally open to me. This is not just a Kansas walkover right? Pac-12: UCLA went to the Final Four, returned all of its top-10 rotation players, and brought in Myles Johnson and Peyton Watson? Do we think they're the Final Four team that got hot late, or more the early season team that struggled last year? Pac-12: This is a weird league. Do we buy Arizona coming back to relevance? Can Oregon's transfers coalesce? USC without Evan Mobley? Colorado is a top-40 team without McKinley Wright? Is the SEC the deepest league? It feels like the most talented, athletic league to me across the board. How weird is this Kentucky team? AAC: Houston and Memphis are considered the two best teams in the league in the preseason. Which one do you like better? Anything teams you're looking forward to seeing? MWC, A10, MVC, rest of WCC: Who is the best team in these leagues? Best mid/low-major team? Who is the most underrated team in the country? Who will win the national title? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pennie and Vecenie are here, and we chat about the second-year players across the NBA. First though, we do a little news recap including the Robert Sarver report, the Celtics team meeting, and some rookie scale options being declined. We run through Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Pat Williams, Tyrese Haliburton, the Pistons' guys, Desmond Bane, Cole Anthony, and plenty others. On top of that, when we dive into Precious Achiuwa, I make sure to spend some time on the Raptors given that the previous 21 Questions podcast was only 20 questions because I missed one on the Raps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nekias Duncan from The Dunker Spot and Basketball News is here to dive into what we've seen from the NBA thus far. Questions on the Bulls, the Heat, Evan Mobley, the Celtics, Zion and plenty more. Full list below: Is the Miami Heat the best team in the NBA? I think they're the best, most complete team I've seen this year. We definitely trust Jimmy, Bam and Kyle at this point. But do we think that this Tyler Herro two-week star turn is real? The Chicago Bulls are the other team I've probably enjoyed watching most this year in the East. Do you believe in the Bulls yet, and how much does the Pat Williams injury hurt them? DeMar DeRozan: closer to the Hall of Fame than we think? My case: by the end of the year, DeRozan will likely be right around No. 55 all-time in scoring. At the end of next year if he averages 20 points per night, he'll be around No. 43. All of the top-48 scorers all time are in the HOF? Boston might be a mess. What the hell is happening with the Celtics on both ends of the floor, where they don't look good in any regard? What do you think of foul calls league-wide? Are you a fan of fewer fouls being called on shots? Is there room for improvement? Speaking of the fouling thing, do we think the narrative that some players have been affected by the new interpretation of the rules is true? For example, do we believe that James Harden is more just working his way back into shape, or do we think he's actually playing at a less elite level due to officiating? Who is your favorite league pass team so far? You don't really watch a ton of college basketball, but you've now seen this rookie class for a couple of weeks. How excited are you about Evan Mobley literally transforming Cleveland's defense? The Hawks are taking more midrange jumpers than any other team in the NBA, and fewer above-the-break 3s than any team other than Phoenix or Chicago. How worried are we about the Nate McMillan era in its first full season? Up until last night against Toronto, the Knicks have been running some sweet, sweet halfcourt offense. They were literally first in the NBA in points per possession out of halfcourt, per Synergy, at 1.033. Do we trust this to hold up? Toronto is 5-3 after a road win against the Knicks. Do we trust Toronto's weird mix of guys between 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-10 who can sort of, kind of shoot to continue generating efficient halfcourt offense by running and taking 3s? Draymond Green has looked incredible to start the season. Are we sure he shouldn't have made the NBA 75? Portland's defense is statistically fine but it feels a bit noisy based off of shot quality being strong for opposition. Do we think they can actually turn it around or is this the end of this core's run? The Pacers finally got a second win last night, and Caris LeVert helped them look much better. But do we think the Pacers are the most likely team to shake things up a bit pre-deadline? How worried are you about the entirety of the Zion Williamson situation? If you were ranking players on the Lakers in terms of importance, how high would Austin Reaves rank? In other words, how worried are you about the way the depth veteran signings have played outside of Carmelo? The Jazz are averaging the second-fewest passes per possession right now. Two years ago, they were in the top-third of the league. Despite very little personnel change overall, do you think this style of play is more sustainable for them as they try to move toward playoff success? The Wizards are winning with depth. Kyle Kuzma has been good. KCP has been good. Spencer Dinwiddie and Montrezl Harrell have given them more offensive firepower. Are we at the point where we buy the Wizards as a playoff team? Small sample size theatre: which top-10 defense do we buy most so far: Minnesota, Chicago, or Dallas? The all-important No. 1 question comes last: Have you accepted Aleksej Pokusevski as the basketball lord and savior? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Pennie joins Sam to break down the first week we've seen from the NBA's rookies so far. Special attention to Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Chris Duarte, Josh Giddey and Davion Mitchell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tony Jones from The Athletic is here, we run through the NBA's first week by breaking down its contenders and more. We dive in by discussing some of the weaknesses the league has shown so far. We start with Brooklyn, then go to the Lakers. Then, we move to the East and run through Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Atlanta (not Miami just because I haven't seen them yet). Then we run through Utah, Denver, Phoenix, the Clippers, the Mavs, and the hit on plenty of other teams throughout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Danny Leroux joins for a new style of episode jumping around the NBA to talk about the NBA's first games, including Giannis, the Mavericks, the Hawks, and plenty other topics. The goal here is to do a show where we can talk about a lot of things within an hour and have fun doing so.We spend approximately three minutes on each question, and they include:-what team disappointed you most with their opener?-What team surprised you most?-If Giannis learned how to shoot pull-ups like he showed confidence with in the opener, how drastically does that alter the MVP/best player in the world discussion?-Did the Suns make the right or wrong call not extending DeAndre Ayton?-Is Anthony Edwards the most fun player in the NBA?-Kings! I think my pick for first time all-star in the west this year is De’Aaron Fox in a wild card slot. Are you as high on Fox as I am?-Can Eric Bledsoe sustain in a Bruce Brown-like role from last year? -The Spurs were really fun against the Magic. Who is your favorite young guy on the Spurs?-How long does this three-big experiment last for the Cavaliers? -Can Will Barton bring the Nuggets jusssstttttt enough offense to keep the perimeter play afloat while Jamal Murray is out for them to sustain as a 50-win team?-Robert Williams looks great for the Celtics. Is there a chance we look back at that deal as a legitimate steal for Boston?-the pacers tossed up 3s on 53% of their shots. They lost to the Hornets in the opener, but are you more bullish on them just based on process?-Are the Blazers a six-deep team, or do we trust Simons/Little/Snell once he gets back?-are you a believer in Pokuism, the acceptance of Aleksej Pokusevski as your basketball savior?And others! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's Opening Night in the NBA! I chatted with Cole Huff from The Athletic about Warriors-Lakers and Bucks-Nets. We saw tonight that continuity matters. But, are we worried about Russell Westbrook? Do we just stay the course with the Lakers? Why Anthony Davis looks awesome. What did we think of the Warriors tonight? Then, we chat about the Bucks. Jordan Nwora looks great, Jrue Holiday looks great, and Giannis looks like he's going to destroy worlds. On top of it, the Nets are also just going to take some time but Kevin Durant remains incredible.We finish on rookie extensions. We chat about the Deandre Ayton lack of extension, followed by some thoughts on Jaren Jackson Jr., Mikal Bridges, and Kevin Huerter. Finally, Marvin Bagley III's reps threw down the gauntlet on the Kings. Some thoughts on his career so far and where it goes from here. What is the best outcome? Why this has been a bad situation for everyone involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Pennie and I preview the guards in the 2022 NBA Draft Class. Including Jaden Hardy, Jaden Ivey, JD Davison, Kennedy Chandler, TyTy Washington, Nolan Hickman, Aminu Mohammed, Jean Montero, Andre Curbelo, Jordan Hall, Kadary richmond, Iverson Molinar, Kendric Davis, Max Abmas, Adam Flagler, Jahvon Quinerly and some further.We also talk about my diving into Boston sports and culture in a way that I'm almost serious about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Derek Bodner is here and we chat about the two dominant NBA storylines of the preseason that came to a head on Tuesday: Ben Simmons coming to the front door of the 76ers unannounced to return to the team, and Kyrie Irving being ruled out of all basketball activities until something changes with his vaccination status or the rules allowing him to play in home games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dave DuFour is here to break down all of the potential awards races this year, from Kevin Durant and the narrative race for MVP; DPOY and the push for a perimeter player to win; some ROY thoughts and a sleeper to win that award; and other stuff like most likely to be traded, most interesting trade targets, and plenty more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Pennie and I preview the wings in the 2022 NBA Draft Class. Including AJ Griffin, Peyton Watson, Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez, Benn Mathurin, Dyson Daniels, and a slew of freshmen. We also talked a bit about a big Boston sports weekend with Pennie, my Instagram account dying an oil-covered death at the hands of Nicolas Cage, and we talk a lot about The Many Saints of Newark at the end. Finally, we close with four minutes on Emoni Bates' measurements that people seem to be melting down about online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the fourth year in a row, Robby Kalland joins Sam for the only essential preview podcast: NBA Win total over/unders. This episode is on the Western Conference. We use our good friends over at BetMGM and their win total lines to dive deep into each team, and discuss what we think will happen this year for every one. The teams go in alphabetical order. DAL: 48.5; DEN: 47.5; GSW: 48.5; HOU: 27.5; LAC: 45.5; LAL: 52.5; MEM: 41.5; MIN: 34.5; NO: 39.5; OKC: 23.5: PHX: 51.5; POR: 44.5; SAC: 36.5; SAS: 28.5; UTA: 52.5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the fourth year in a row, Robby Kalland joins Sam for the only essential preview podcast: NBA Win total over/unders. This episode is on the Eastern Conference. We use our good friends over at BetMGM and their win total lines to dive deep into each team, and discuss what we think will happen this year for every one. The teams go in alphabetical order. The numbers we go off of can be found below:ATL 47.5; BOS 45.5; BKN 56.6; CHA 38.5; CHI 42.5; CLE 26.5; DET 24.5; IND 42.5; MIA 48.5; MIL 54.5; NYK 41.5; ORL 22.5; PHI 50.5; TOR 35.5; WAS 33.5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fred Katz joins the show, and we tier the Eastern Conference into four ways: Pretenders, Play-in Contenders, Playoff Contenders, and Title Contenders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.