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A little game theory

armstead98 : 5/5/2019 4:34 pm
The knock on the Jones pick seems to be that DG could have picked him had he waited until 17 but panicked and took him at 6.

Whether or not this is true, how was DG supposed to know this? Should he call the otherGMs and ask? Should he read Adam Schefter and assume that it's true?

Obviously these are rhetorical questions. There no way for him to know whether or not he'll last. So if he's the guy you take him at 6 and be done with it.
That’s not really game theory.  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/5/2019 4:39 pm : link
Where are the scenarios, probabilities, and combinations? What you have there is dogma, not game theory.
The whole concept of ‘The Guy’ defies game theory too.  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/5/2019 4:42 pm : link
You’re positing that any scenario in which the Giants don’t draft Jones is a loss. That kind of tilts the table toward picking him at #6.
BBB  
armstead98 : 5/5/2019 4:51 pm : link
I can rephrase, there's no way to know for certain that Jones is still there at 17. So lets say its 50/50. DG seems to think it's less likely but 50% seems about right.

If you love him as much as the Giants did you just take him. Why risk it?

The media seems to imply that he would 100% have been there which just isn't the case, or at least impossible to know. So if you prefer him over Allen, which they obviously did, don't get cute. Just take him.

He might not work out but I don't blame them ofr taking him at 6 if they have conviction.
He would have been long gone at 17.  
Giant John : 5/5/2019 5:10 pm : link
Not a chance.
According to DG  
UberAlias : 5/5/2019 5:14 pm : link
He did know, and was certain he wouldn’t last. That’s why this is so controversial because of that claim.
RE: According to DG  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/5/2019 5:42 pm : link
UberAlias said:
Quote:
He did know, and was certain he wouldn’t last. That’s why this is so controversial because of that claim.

Exactly. The key uncertainty here isn't the Bengals, Broncos, etc. It's whether Gettleman actually knew what he claims he knew.

There are a lot of other factors, like the team's assessment of Josh Allen, Jonah Williams, Christian Wilkins, etc. but the first question is whether the probability of getting Jones at #17 was really 0%, as Gettleman asserts. If that's true, then not picking him at #6 equals not getting him, and all possible combination of picks that include Jones are off the table, unless they trade up from #17 (which probably costs them Baker). That simplifies the game-theory aspect, but it also tilts the likely outcome.

If the chance of getting Jones as #17 is set at 50%, then it's a whole different game. Then you're talking about Allen (or Williams, or whoever) plus a 50% chance of Jones and a 50% chance of whoever the fallback turned out be - possibly Lawrence, but maybe somebody else. I think that's pretty attractive, unless they think Jones is a fairly unique property.
That's the key  
armstead98 : 5/5/2019 6:03 pm : link
The media talks as if the decision to pick him at 6 was dumb because he would have been there but they don't know.

The only real critique is that he wasnt worth the 6th pick because he's not good enough.

But few are willing to go out on that limb.
It's irrelevant now  
USAF NYG Fan : 5/5/2019 6:10 pm : link
The Giants were on the board at #6. It wasn't Denver picking at #6. It wasn't Miami, Washington, Cincinnati, the Dodgers, the Rangers, Chris Carter, and/or Nick Wright. I don't care where other teams had Jones' ranked as it's got nothing to do with who the Giants wanted for their team. It's irrelevant. I don't care what BS Gettleman is feeding to the media either.

None of the media or even the draft experts go into their mocks/grades thinking as deeply about the needs and desires of the NY Giants as the NY Giants. The Giants have their own experts, the difference being they are grading out players specifically for the Giants. Our experts are not trying to figure out who Denver wanted. They don't care who or what the media wanted. I disagree with most on here that think they care about what Eli wants as well. They are paid to find the right person for the NEW YORK GIANTS!!!!

The Giants, at the time of their pick, choose the guy that they feel is the best fit for their team and didn't want to risk that he would be there for them later. End of story.
What if he liked Dexter Lawrence more than Josh Allen?  
George from PA : 5/5/2019 6:52 pm : link
.
RE: That’s not really game theory.  
Cool Down : 5/5/2019 7:06 pm : link
In comment 14433079 Big Blue Blogger said:
Quote:
Where are the scenarios, probabilities, and combinations? What you have there is dogma, not game theory.


What's "Game Theory"/ Nothing but a theory.
The NFL draft is for real.
USAF: I think the premise of the thread...  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/5/2019 7:08 pm : link
...is to approach the #6 and #17 picks as an exercise in game theory. Of course it's irrelevant. We just need something to keep us busy until OTAs.
RE: USAF: I think the premise of the thread...  
Cool Down : 5/5/2019 8:06 pm : link
In comment 14433265 Big Blue Blogger said:
Quote:
...is to approach the #6 and #17 picks as an exercise in game theory. Of course it's irrelevant. We just need something to keep us busy until OTAs.


One of these days I'll learn to keep my mouth shut when I don't know what's going on.
RE: BBB  
giantstock : 5/5/2019 8:18 pm : link
In comment 14433099 armstead98 said:
Quote:

The media seems to imply that he would 100% have been there which just isn't the case, or at least impossible to know.

He might not work out but I don't blame them ofr taking him at 6 if they have conviction.


WHy is this on the media? WHy didn't DG just say he was valued as top on our boards and leave it at that?

WHy does he always feel a need to overly-babble?

DG SAID Jones was as highly valued as Allen thus it being obvious that Jones was tops on his board.

WHy doesn;t he shut his mouth instead of inviting more discussion? IMO it's because he wants to show off to everyone how smart he thinks he is. Isn't this a possibility?
RE: According to DG  
Seventh Spiel : 5/5/2019 8:21 pm : link
In comment 14433133 UberAlias said:
Quote:
He did know, and was certain he wouldn’t last. That’s why this is so controversial because of that claim.


Is this true? I know DG said after the draft that he "knew for a fact" that DJ wouldn't last, but I don't think he ever said when he learned that "fact," or that he knew it at the time he made the pick.

My impression was that whatever he learned came after the pick, from conversations with peers. But maybe I'm wrong about that.
Seventh Spiel: Gettleman wasn't specific about the timing...  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/5/2019 8:40 pm : link
...of the confirmation. He implied that he was sure at the time he made the pick, and that he received confirmation later. One of the reasons it came across as BS was that he was so vague about the crucial element of timing. On the other hand, he might have been protecting his source.

From a game-theory perspective, any confirmation received after he made the pick - even if assumed to be 100% reliable - is irrelevant. In game theory, you can't justify a poorly-reasoned decision by pointing to the fact that your hunch turned out to be right.
Things seem to go easier for DG  
Jimmy Googs : 5/5/2019 8:47 pm : link
when he has only one first round pick...
RE: Seventh Spiel: Gettleman wasn't specific about the timing...  
eric2425ny : 5/5/2019 10:36 pm : link
In comment 14433348 Big Blue Blogger said:
Quote:
...of the confirmation. He implied that he was sure at the time he made the pick, and that he received confirmation later. One of the reasons it came across as BS was that he was so vague about the crucial element of timing. On the other hand, he might have been protecting his source.

From a game-theory perspective, any confirmation received after he made the pick - even if assumed to be 100% reliable - is irrelevant. In game theory, you can't justify a poorly-reasoned decision by pointing to the fact that your hunch turned out to be right.


Thanks Confucius.
Idk....  
Hades07 : 5/5/2019 10:42 pm : link
I think everyone is overcomplicating this.

It would seem that definitely not being able to obtain Allen was preferable to the possibility of not being able to obtain Jones.
RE: Idk....  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/5/2019 11:17 pm : link
Hades07 said:
Quote:
I think everyone is overcomplicating this.

It would seem that definitely not being able to obtain Allen was preferable to the possibility of not being able to obtain Jones.
Depends on the value you attach to each player and the perceived likelihood of each outcome. Are we overcomplicating the decision, or did Gettleman oversimplify it? We don’t know, and we never will, no matter how well or badly his choice turns out.
RE: RE: Seventh Spiel: Gettleman wasn't specific about the timing...  
DonQuixote : 5/5/2019 11:39 pm : link
In comment 14433423 eric2425ny said:
Quote:
In comment 14433348 Big Blue Blogger said:


Quote:


...of the confirmation. He implied that he was sure at the time he made the pick, and that he received confirmation later. One of the reasons it came across as BS was that he was so vague about the crucial element of timing. On the other hand, he might have been protecting his source.

From a game-theory perspective, any confirmation received after he made the pick - even if assumed to be 100% reliable - is irrelevant. In game theory, you can't justify a poorly-reasoned decision by pointing to the fact that your hunch turned out to be right.



Thanks Confucius.


I think you meant Nash
DonQuixote: Trying to derive a Nash equilibrium...  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/6/2019 12:31 am : link
... for a game with 32 players and hundreds of options would be a good way to follow Nash into mental illness.

Speaking of Nash: wear seatbelts, even in the back seat.
Giants pick Jones  
Phil in LA : 5/6/2019 1:16 am : link
Denver trades down. Only thing you needed to notice why we took him at 6.
RE: Giants pick Jones  
Leg of Theismann : 5/6/2019 2:03 am : link
In comment 14433565 Phil in LA said:
Quote:
Denver trades down. Only thing you needed to notice why we took him at 6.
RE: Giants pick Jones  
Leg of Theismann : 5/6/2019 2:08 am : link
In comment 14433565 Phil in LA said:
Quote:
Denver trades down. Only thing you needed to notice why we took him at 6.


I disagree. We can’t know if rather it was Pitt that was waiting to see if Bush was still on the board at #10 before finalizing the deal. There’s no question Bush was their target and they gave up quite a lot for him, very unlikely they would make the trade prior to knowing 100% for sure that Bush was available at #10. The fact Denver went through with the trade after Jones was picked does not mean they wanted Jones all along, it could simply mean Pitt was not willing to make the trade before pick #10 came up and Bush was still there (he very easily could have gone earlier).
Leg of Theismen  
George from PA : 5/6/2019 4:49 am : link
If Pittsburgh trade with Denver was subject to a certain player being off the board for Denver.....

As you know, Pittsburgh and The Giants are familar....that would be one way DG was certain.
I imagine this topic will come up once or twice again  
Jimmy Googs : 5/6/2019 5:54 am : link
if Daniel Jones isn’t all that and a bag of chips.

Don’t you?
Never assume you're smarter than everyone else  
Milton : 5/6/2019 6:24 am : link
If he was a top ten pick on your board, assume that several of your competitors graded him similarly. That's my application of game theory to Gettleman's decision.
You need  
Jay in Toronto : 5/6/2019 8:06 am : link
saddle points
So if he waited til 17  
joeinpa : 5/6/2019 8:32 am : link
And Jones was still there, the Giants would have Allen and Jones, instead of Lawerence and Jones; this is better....why?

More likely Giants trade up if they pass on Jones and lose the 37 th pick. So in that case Allen and Jones is better than Jones, Lawerence and Baker, don’t see it.

Only way it seems like a bad pick at 6 is if You didn’t want them to draft Jones at all.
Denver  
cjac : 5/6/2019 8:37 am : link
definitely would have taken him
RE: DonQuixote: Trying to derive a Nash equilibrium...  
FatMan in Charlotte : 5/6/2019 8:48 am : link
In comment 14433559 Big Blue Blogger said:
Quote:
... for a game with 32 players and hundreds of options would be a good way to follow Nash into mental illness.

Speaking of Nash: wear seatbelts, even in the back seat.


It isn't just that. Game Theory applied to the draft is nearly a useless exercise. Game Theory strategy applies most in a draft situation when trying to determine the liklihood of other teams targeting the same position or same player as you are and the optimal value to gain from the selections.

But the randomness of picks being successful complicates things to the point where the analytic discussion breaks down. If you could determine that every 6'4" player would have a certain level of success, it would at least allow for some statistical analysis, but it doesn't work that way.

The draft is more of an exercise in confirmation bias, where picks are immediately judged based on their reputation from groupthink instead of how they will actually produce. If Tom Brady had been picked in the 1st round, New England would have been eviscerated. Up until the point that he showed exactly why he would have been worthy of being picked that high. And then the focus would be on what did New England know that everyone else didn't. And in the immediate evaluation of New England based on game theory, Brady would have been a terrible pick. Since the board oft he "experts" had him as a mid-round pick, New England had terrible value picking him early. That's where this whole idea of game theory fails.
Is there some actual game theory model being proposed?  
ray in arlington : 5/6/2019 9:30 am : link
Or is this just an informal use of the term "game theory"?
RE: RE: That’s not really game theory.  
Gatorade Dunk : 5/6/2019 9:41 am : link
In comment 14433262 Cool Down said:
Quote:
In comment 14433079 Big Blue Blogger said:


Quote:


Where are the scenarios, probabilities, and combinations? What you have there is dogma, not game theory.



What's "Game Theory"/ Nothing but a theory.
The NFL draft is for real.

That's not really how it works, but ok. Are you familiar with game theory at all?
RE: Is there some actual game theory model being proposed?  
ron mexico : 5/6/2019 9:42 am : link
In comment 14433743 ray in arlington said:
Quote:
Or is this just an informal use of the term "game theory"?


I don't think it goes much past running a bunch of mock drafts, but thats just a guess



RE: RE: RE: That’s not really game theory.  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/6/2019 10:21 am : link
Gatorade Dunk said:
Quote:
Where are the scenarios, probabilities, and combinations? What you have there is dogma, not game theory.

What's "Game Theory"/ Nothing but a theory.
The NFL draft is for real.

That's not really how it works, but ok. Are you familiar with game theory at all?
I’m admittedly rusty. At this point, I would struggle to optimize the Prisoner’s Dilemma, which is first week of the intro course stuff.
RE: Is there some actual game theory model being proposed?  
armstead98 : 5/6/2019 10:23 am : link
In comment 14433743 ray in arlington said:
Quote:
Or is this just an informal use of the term "game theory"?


More informal but the key is that the media acts as if Jones would have 100% been there at 17, but thats inherently unknowable from Gettleman perspective. Instead there's some probability, he says 0%, but really probably more like 25%.

Given this, it's understandable why Jones was the pick at 6.

One could come up with a model but I think the key is that they think having Jones on the roster increases the odds of a Superbowl in the next X amount of years more than anyone else they could have picked there.
That..  
FatMan in Charlotte : 5/6/2019 10:29 am : link
would be a tough model to develop.

Since game theory relies heavily on expected decisions from other "players", you'd have to model the teams that passed on a QB because Jones wasn't there and the teams that took a QB after Jones was selected and assign a probability on them selecting Jones based on information that will likely never publicly be known.

About the only thing you could say with pretty certain probability is that the Cards had no interest in Jones (but you'd probably have to factor in the Giants interest of trading up for Murray). Or trading for Rosen.

That's why game theory of the draft is nearly impossible.

Add in the fact that the "winner" isn't determined until years later and it really is useless.
FMiC: Although your point is well-taken...  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/6/2019 10:30 am : link
...I think it’s possible for a team to try to optimize its own draft results, based on its own board. If Jones was the top player on the NYG board (a la Barkley), then any substantial risk of losing him is a bad bet. Conversely, if he’s in a lower tier than Allen, the risk is probably worth taking.

In your Brady example, the Pats can only judge that pick relative to their own board and the perceived likelihood of another team taking him. If they graded him as a UDFA, he’s a reach in round six even with the benefit of hindsight. His emergence as the GOAT wouldn’t make him a good pick. It just makes the Patriots very lucky (and reflects well on their staff over the past two decades).
I agree..  
FatMan in Charlotte : 5/6/2019 10:37 am : link
but that is the cutting issue with applying game theory here. Teams can control what they can possibly on their own board, but true game theory would require optimal decision making based on what the other players (teams) were doing and how their actions or your actions impact each others decisions/boards.

And it is even tougher for us to discuss because we don't even have insight into the boards. We may know Kiper or McShay's board, but we don't likely have the actual information teams are using.
And BBB..  
FatMan in Charlotte : 5/6/2019 10:39 am : link
I did acknowledge this in the above example of Brady:

Quote:
In your Brady example, the Pats can only judge that pick relative to their own board and the perceived likelihood of another team taking him. If they graded him as a UDFA, he’s a reach in round six even with the benefit of hindsight. His emergence as the GOAT wouldn’t make him a good pick. It just makes the Patriots very lucky (and reflects well on their staff over the past two decades).


From a game theory standpoint, it would be a poor pick. That's why I called it more of a function of confirmation bias than anything else.
.  
Bill2 : 5/6/2019 10:45 am : link
Honestly think DG was confronted by a lot of know it all media and wanted to pave the road for a more thorough evaluation of the desirability of Jones than the knee jerk clichés of pre draft analysis.

The truth is he was taken more seriously than many in the media did...and by several other teams besides the Giants.

Its also true that some teams did and did not prefer Haskins and/or Murray.

Regardless of the efficacy of his statements about draft day ( an unknowable morass) we have a lot of information now that indicates that several more seasoned evaluators around the league took Jones more seriously than the initial Rd 2 assessment of early punditry.

Jones may not be a 6 but he was at least 50% likely to be between 7 and 17.

Its also true that Allen would not be the first straight-line speed rusher to not translate as well into the NFl.

Its a draft. The picks all have risk and the what ifs and post mortems are endless.

We got Jones. Nothing we can do about it. Lets move on.

imo
FMIC: Well said.  
Big Blue Blogger : 5/6/2019 10:49 am : link
Good points across the board.
RE: FMIC: Well said.  
SGMen : 5/6/2019 11:02 am : link
In comment 14433910 Big Blue Blogger said:
Quote:
Good points across the board.
FMIC
I must agree on all points.
I'm just happy that, at least on paper, we seem to be moving in the right direction as a team.
My #1 take-away is how much the locker-room has changed. This is PS's team now.
We have more players that fit the schemes.

We took DJ and however management decides to bring him along that is fine by me.

I will just re-iterate that unless DJ "chits the bed" and shows next to nothing, this is very likely Eli's last year with the team, IMHO.
RE: RE: Idk....  
Hades07 : 5/6/2019 11:39 am : link
In comment 14433505 Big Blue Blogger said:
Quote:
Hades07 said:

Quote:


I think everyone is overcomplicating this.

It would seem that definitely not being able to obtain Allen was preferable to the possibility of not being able to obtain Jones.

Depends on the value you attach to each player and the perceived likelihood of each outcome. Are we overcomplicating the decision, or did Gettleman oversimplify it? We don’t know, and we never will, no matter how well or badly his choice turns out.
The value you or I attach to to each player and the perceived likelihood we put on any given outcome does not matter one iota. What the Giants have clearly shown was they would rather be sure they got Jones even if it meant they would not get Allen. Even if there was a chance of getting him at 17, and nab Allen at 6. Whatever words he chooses to use matter little, their actions state that getting Jones was the most important thing in the draft regardless of what other talent they missed out on to secure that. They are clearly convinced that he is the answer at QB. We will find out if they are right or wrong in that evaluation in the next couple of seasons. For now we should be happy as fans that our team got the guy they wanted for the most important position and we not left settling.
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