NBA Tank Magic Numbers

2021-22 National Basketball Association Tank Magic Numbers

Tank Magic Numbers

Tank GP/R W L W%
HOU 39/43 10 29 .256   43 42 41 39 37 37 36 36 36 35 35 33 33 33 33 34 32 32 32 33 31 30 29 28 28 28 28 28 26
CHA 39/43 10 29 .256 43   42 41 39 37 37 36 36 36 35 35 33 33 33 33 34 32 32 32 33 31 30 29 28 28 28 28 28 26
DET 41/41 11 30 .268 NC NC   40 38 36 36 35 35 35 34 34 32 32 32 32 33 31 31 31 32 30 29 28 27 27 27 27 27 25
SAS 38/44 12 26 .315 NC NC NC   42 40 40 39 39 39 38 38 36 36 36 36 37 35 35 35 36 34 33 32 31 31 31 31 31 29
ORL 39/43 14 25 .359 NC NC NC NC   41 41 40 40 40 39 39 37 37 37 37 38 36 36 36 37 35 34 33 32 32 32 32 32 30
TOR 38/44 16 22 .421 NC NC NC NC NC   44 43 43 43 42 42 40 40 40 40 41 39 39 39 40 38 37 36 35 35 35 35 35 33
OKC 38/44 16 22 .421 NC NC NC NC NC 44   43 43 43 42 42 40 40 40 40 41 39 39 39 40 38 37 36 35 35 35 35 35 33
WAS 39/43 17 22 .435 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   43 43 42 42 40 40 40 40 41 39 39 39 40 38 37 36 35 35 35 35 35 33
LAL 38/44 17 21 .447 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 44 44   43 43 41 41 41 41 42 40 40 40 41 39 38 37 36 36 36 36 36 34
CHI 38/44 17 21 .447 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 44   44 43 43 41 41 41 41 42 40 40 40 41 39 38 37 36 36 36 36 36 34
MIN 39/43 18 21 .461 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   43 41 41 41 41 42 40 40 40 41 39 38 37 36 36 36 36 36 34
ATL 38/44 18 20 .473 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 44   42 42 42 42 43 41 41 41 42 40 39 38 37 37 37 37 37 35
UTH 41/41 20 21 .487 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   41 41 41 NC 40 40 40 41 39 38 37 36 36 36 36 36 34
GSW 39/43 20 19 .512 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 43 43   43 NC 42 42 42 43 41 40 39 38 38 38 38 38 36
PHX 39/43 20 19 .512 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 43 43 43   NC 42 42 42 43 41 40 39 38 38 38 38 38 36
MIA 39/43 20 19 .512 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 43   43 43 NC 42 42 42 43 41 40 39 38 38 38 38 38 36
POR 37/45 19 18 .513 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 44 44 44 44   43 43 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 39 39 39 37
LAC 40/42 21 19 .525 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   42 42 NC 41 40 39 38 38 38 38 38 36
IND 39/43 21 18 .538 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 43 43   NC 42 41 40 39 39 39 39 39 37
NYK 39/43 21 18 .538 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 43   43 NC 42 41 40 39 39 39 39 39 37
SAC 37/45 20 17 .540 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 45 45 45 45 NC 44 44 44   43 42 41 40 40 40 40 40 38
DAL 39/43 22 17 .564 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   42 41 40 40 40 40 40 38
PHI 37/45 23 14 .621 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   44 43 43 43 43 43 41
NWO 38/44 24 14 .631 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   43 43 43 43 43 41
CLE 39/43 25 14 .641 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   43 43 43 43 41
DEN 38/44 25 13 .657 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 44 44   44 44 42
BKN 38/44 25 13 .657 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 44 44 44   44 42
MIL 38/44 25 13 .657 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 44 44 44 44   42
MEM 38/44 25 13 .657 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 44   44 44 44 42
BOS 39/43 27 12 .692 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 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:

  1. 14.0% chance of receiving the No. 1 pick
  2. 14.0% chance
  3. 14.0% chance
  4. 12.5% chance
  5. 10.5% chance
  6. 9.0% chance
  7. 7.5% chance
  8. 6.0% chance
  9. 4.5% chance
  10. 3.0% chance
  11. 2.0% chance
  12. 1.5% chance
  13. 1.0% chance
  14. 0.5% chance

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: January 6, 2023 9:42pm GMT