Tank | GP/R | W | L | W% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DET | 73/9 | 12 | 61 | .164 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
WAS | 73/9 | 14 | 59 | .191 | NC | 6 | 5 | 4 | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
SAS | 73/9 | 17 | 56 | .232 | NC | NC | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
CHA | 72/10 | 18 | 54 | .250 | NC | NC | NC | 9 | 5 | 4 | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
POR | 73/9 | 19 | 54 | .260 | NC | NC | NC | NC | 5 | 4 | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
TOR | 73/9 | 23 | 50 | .315 | | NC | NC | NC | NC | 8 | 4 | 3 | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
MEM | 73/9 | 24 | 49 | .328 | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | 5 | 4 | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
BKN | 73/9 | 28 | 45 | .383 | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | 8 | 3 | 2 | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
UTH | 73/9 | 29 | 44 | .397 | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | 4 | 3 | 1 | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
ATL | 73/9 | 34 | 39 | .465 | | | | | | | | NC | NC | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ᰬ | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
CHI | 73/9 | 35 | 38 | .479 | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ᰬ | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
HOU | 72/10 | 37 | 35 | .513 | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
GSW | 72/10 | 38 | 34 | .527 | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
PHI | 73/9 | 39 | 34 | .534 | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
MIA | 72/10 | 39 | 33 | .541 | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
IND | 74/8 | 41 | 33 | .554 | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
LAL | 73/9 | 41 | 32 | .561 | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ᰬ | ᰬ | ← | ← | |
SAC | 72/10 | 42 | 30 | .583 | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ← | |
ORL | 72/10 | 42 | 30 | .583 | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ← | |
PHX | 73/9 | 43 | 30 | .589 | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ← | |
DAL | 72/10 | 43 | 29 | .597 | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ← | |
CLE | 73/9 | 44 | 29 | .602 | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ← | |
NYK | 72/10 | 44 | 28 | .611 | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ← | |
NWO | 73/9 | 45 | 28 | .616 | | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ← | |
LAC | 72/10 | 45 | 27 | .625 | | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 10 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ← | |
MIL | 73/9 | 46 | 27 | .630 | | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 5 | 5 | 4 | ← | |
OKC | 72/10 | 50 | 22 | .694 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 10 | 9 | 3 | |
MIN | 72/10 | 50 | 22 | .694 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 10 | 9 | 3 | |
DEN | 73/9 | 51 | 22 | .698 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | 3 | |
BOS | 73/9 | 57 | 16 | .780 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NC | NC | NC |
The NBA uses a lottery system to determine which teams get the best picks in the upcoming draft. The worse a team finishes in the standings, the better the chance the team gets a higher draft pick.
Every year a few teams seem to throw in the towel and tank in hopes of getting a higher draft pick.
The Tank Magic Number is the number of games a team needs to lose in order to secure a worse seed in the traditional standings.
Basically, it's the exact opposite of a traditional magic number.
We've taken the traditional standings and flipped them upside down, so in our table, it's still a race to the "top".
Assuming the "better" seed is actually a worse record (#1 seed is the worst record, #2 is the second worst, etc), here are the odds of getting the first pick for next years NBA draft:
When a team is guaranteed a reverse top three seed, they are highlighted in green. When they are guaranteed a lottery pick, they are highlighted in yellow. When a team clinches a playoff spot, they are no longer a lottery pick, and are highlighted in red.
Updated: March 29, 2024 4:00am GMT