Predicting the top 10 defenses in the NBA for the 2024-25 season

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie is joined by Robby Kalland to run through gambling picks for each Western Conference team's over/under win total line. Will the Lakers win more than 43 games? Will the Warriors win more than 42? Can Wembanyama lead a Spurs turnaround? We break it all down. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie - 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. CHAPTERS: 5:00 - Dallas Mavericks 12:23 - Denver Nuggets 18:45 - Golden State Warriors 26:53 - Houston Rockets 38:01 - Los Angeles Clippers 43:15 - Los Angeles Lakers 50:25 - Memphis Grizzlies 1:01:58 - Minnesota Timberwolves 1:10:40 - New Orleans Pelicans 1:16:45 - Oklahoma City Thunder 1:21:54 - Phoenix Suns 1:26:07 - Portland Trail Blazers 1:36:50 - Sacramento Kings 1:44:08 - San Antonio Spurs 1:52:50 - Utah Jazz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon discuss Joel Embiid's extension, AJ Griffin's sudden retirement, which NBA prospects stand out at the NBL and much more before prediction which 10 teams will finish top 10 in defensive rating this upcoming NBA season. Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get $5 OFF your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code GAMETHEORY at https://shopmando.com CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @GameTheorySamV TIKTOK - @GameTheorySamV - 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. CHAPTERS 4:15 Joel Embiid signs extension; Why the Sixers had to do it even with the downside 24:05 AJ Griffin leaves basketball 38:53 NBL Early Season Draft Breakdown! 39:57 Alex Toohey 46:00 Rocco Zikarsky 51:26 Ben Henshall 56:20 Izan Almansa 59:30 Malique Lewis and Lachlan Olbrich 1:05:00 Predicting the Top-10 Defenses in the NBA! 1:56:05 TRIVIA TIME! 10 Most Recent Individual Seasons of 50+ games, 1000+ minutes, 11 or more 3-pt attempts per 36 minutes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie is joined by Robby Kalland for their annual NBA Over/Under Wins predictions 2-parter! Here in part 1, they begin by going through each team in the East & picking the over or under on their projected Vegas win total. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie - 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. CHAPTERS: 5:35 - Atlanta Hawks 16:24 - Brooklyn Nets 23:42 - Boston Celtics 28:36 - Charlotte Hornets 37:38 - Chicago Bulls 44:07 - Cleveland Cavaliers 49:50 - Detroit Pistons 56:35 - Indiana Pacers 1:02:54 - Miami Heat 1:11:06 - Milwaukee Bucks 1:16:42 - New York Knicks 1:26:11 - Orlando Magic 1:36:55 - Philadelphia 76ers 1:44:36 - Toronto Raptors 1:52:24 - Washington Wizards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon open by announcing the newest addition to the crew - new Executive Producer Andrew Claudio! Then, they go through the 7 teams they're most excited to watch this upcoming NBA season while discussing the one thing about each team that they're specifically looking forward to seeing. Hungryroot is offering Game Theory listeners 40% OFF your first delivery and FREE veggies for life when you go to https://Hungryroot.com/GAMETHEORY CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie - 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. CHAPTERS 1:25 Saying hello to Andrew Claudio, new Game Theory Producer! 10:30 How we determined the seven teams we're most interested in watching this season 15:45 Oklahoma City Thunder 31:21 Houston Rockets 47:21 Denver Nuggets 1:03:38 San Antonio Spurs 1:16:20 Memphis Grizzlies 1:27:58 Philadelphia 76ers 1:38:15 The New York Knicks 1:59:30 Trivia Time! Top-10 Players in terms of percentage of team's turnovers who played at least 60 games and had at least 25% USG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie is joined by Keith Smith from The Front Office Show and Spotrac to chat about potential contract extensions forthcoming in the next few months. They break down the 2021 NBA Draft class, the stars that have weird decisions to make, and some of the veterans with interesting potential options. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie - 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon break down the top 10 contracts in the NBA heading into the 2024-25 season. Shout out to the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks for being featured prominently. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie - 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. CHAPTERS: 2:45 Quick thoughts on 2024 NBL Blitz; Zikarsky, Henshall, Almansa, Toohey, Lewis, Olbrich 12:10 Jamal Murray signs four-year max extension with Denver Nuggets; right move? 21:20 Top-10 Contracts; what is our criteria? 28:30 Honorable mentions 40:35 No. 10 Kyle Kuzma 46:06 No. 9 Vince Williams Jr. 52:33 No. 8 Coby White 1:00:07 No. 7 Donte DiVincenzo 1:07:19 No. 6 Austin Reaves 1:12:43 No. 5 Mikal Bridges 1:19:57 No. 4 Herb Jones 1:25:07 No. 3 Deni Avdija 1:29:56 No. 2 Jaren Jackson Jr. 1:38:00 No. 1 Jalen Brunson 1:45:55 TRIVIA TIME! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of Game Theory, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon now transition to talk about expectations for teams in the Western Conference this season, and break down how each team can potentially exceed those expectations this year. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie - 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. CHAPTERS: 6:36 Dallas Mavericks 12:48 Denver Nuggets 19:47 Golden State Warriors 25:31 Houston Rockets 32:48 Los Angeles Clippers 37:15 Los Angeles Lakers 44:02 Memphis Grizzlies 48:38 Minnesota Timberwolves 54:16 New Orleans Pelicans 59:12 Oklahoma City Thunder 1:05:22 Phoenix Suns 1:10:39 Portland Trail Blazers 1:15:51 Sacramento Kings 1:21:16 San Antonio Spurs 1:25:44 Utah Jazz 1:31:05 TRIVIA TIME! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of Game Theory, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon talk about expectations for teams in the Eastern Conference this season, and break down how each team can potentially exceed those expectations this year.  Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get $5 OFF your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code GAMETHEORY at https://shopmando.com #mandopod CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie - 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. CHAPTERS: 8:35 Stephen Curry One-year Extension with Warriors 12:35 TJ McConnell 4/45M extension with Pacers 26:00 Ivica Zubac 3/58M Extension with Clippers 34:00 GG Jackson out with broken foot 42:50 Atlanta Hawks 47:38 Brooklyn Nets 53:15 Boston Celtics 57:35 Charlotte Hornets 1:02:44 Chicago Bulls 1:08:00 Cleveland Cavaliers 1:13:30 Detroit Pistons 1:19:57 Indiana Pacers 1:24:22 Miami Heat 1:29:51 Milwaukee Bucks 1:35:44 New York Knicks 1:41:56 Orlando Magic 1:46:56 Philadelphia 76ers 1:52:35 Toronto Raptors 1:58:04 Washington Wizards 2:01:18 TRIVIA TIME! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of Game Theory, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon are joined by Andrew Schlecht of the Athletic NBA Show & the Down To Dunk podcast to wrap up their 2-week coverage of the best players 24 & Under in the NBA by drafting three 10-man teams consisting solely of these players with the goal of winning as many games as possible this upcoming season. Help Alienware make a difference and shop now at https://Alienware.com/deals. Purchase any PC or monitor between 7/15/24 and 9/11/24 and Dell will donate $1.75 for each eligible product within your purchase to Computer Aid, capped at $1.2 million total. For details and restrictions go to https://Alienware.com/deals. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie 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. CHAPTERS: 5:00 Laying out the criteria for the draft 9:30 Picks 1-5 22:15 Picks 6-10 33:17 Picks 11-15 42:30 Picks 16-20 51:15 Picks 21-25 59:15 Picks 26-30 1:08:10 Recapping and Analyzing the Draft 1:12:20 Making the case for each team to win 1:22:59 Trivia Time! Best Isolation Players in the Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of Game Theory, Sam Vecenie & Bryce Simon continue their break down the top 24 players in the NBA that are 24 years old or younger. The rules: You have to be 24 years old as of December 31, 2024 to be eligible. The criteria: What player would you bet on long-term to have the best overall career? That means current career to this point counts, but we're also projecting out into the future, too. And given that these players are all still quite young, the future matters more. Hungryroot is offering Game Theory listeners 40% OFF your first delivery and FREE veggies for life when you go to https://Hungryroot.com/GAMETHEORY Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get $5 OFF your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code GAMETHEORY at https://shopmando.com Help Alienware make a difference and shop now at https://Alienware.com/deals. Purchase any PC or monitor between 7/15/24 and 9/11/24 and Dell will donate $1.75 for each eligible product within your purchase to Computer Aid, capped at $1.2 million total. For details and restrictions go to https://Alienware.com/deals. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EPISODE ON THE GAME THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! FOLLOW GAME THEORY ON SOCIALS: TWITTER - @GameTheorySamV INSTAGRAM - @gametheorysamvecenie TIKTOK - @gametheorysamvecenie 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. CHAPTERS: 6:05 No. 9 Jalen Williams 22:10 No. 8 Tyrese Maxey 30:26 No. 7 Tyrese Haliburton 44:52 No. 6 Brandon Miller 1:00:13 No. 5 Paolo Banchero 1:12:46 No. 4 Chet Holmgren 1:21:35 No. 3 Zion Williamson 1:31:00 No. 2 Anthony Edwards 1:45:00 No. 1 Victor Wembanyama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices