NBA Tank Magic Numbers

2023-24 National Basketball Association Tank Magic Numbers

Tank Magic Numbers

Tank GP/R W L W%
WAS 26/56 4 22 .153   55 53 53 53 51 51 49 48 47 47 47 46 47 46 46 45 44 45 45 46 44 42 42 42 42 40 38 38 35
NWO 29/53 5 24 .172 NC   51 51 51 49 49 47 46 45 45 45 44 45 44 44 43 42 43 43 44 42 40 40 40 40 38 36 36 33
CHA 28/54 7 21 .250 NC NC 54   54 52 52 50 49 48 48 48 47 48 47 47 46 45 46 46 47 45 43 43 43 43 41 39 39 36
TOR 28/54 7 21 .250 NC NC   54 54 52 52 50 49 48 48 48 47 48 47 47 46 45 46 46 47 45 43 43 43 43 41 39 39 36
UTH 27/55 7 20 .259 NC NC 55 55   53 53 51 50 49 49 49 48 49 48 48 47 46 47 47 48 46 44 44 44 44 42 40 40 37
POR 28/54 9 19 .321 NC NC NC NC NC   54 52 51 50 50 50 49 50 49 49 48 47 48 48 49 47 45 45 45 45 43 41 41 38
PHI 26/56 9 17 .346 NC NC NC NC NC 56   54 53 52 52 52 51 52 51 51 50 49 50 50 51 49 47 47 47 47 45 43 43 40
BKN 28/54 11 17 .392 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   53 52 52 52 51 52 51 51 50 49 50 50 51 49 47 47 47 47 45 43 43 40
DET 29/53 12 17 .413 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   52 52 52 51 52 51 51 50 49 50 50 51 49 47 47 47 47 45 43 43 40
CHI 29/53 13 16 .448 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   53 53 52 53 52 52 51 50 51 51 52 50 48 48 48 48 46 44 44 41
SAC 29/53 13 16 .448 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 53   53 52 53 52 52 51 50 51 51 52 50 48 48 48 48 46 44 44 41
IND 28/54 13 15 .464 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 54 54   53 54 53 53 52 51 52 52 53 51 49 49 49 49 47 45 45 42
ATL 29/53 14 15 .482 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   NC 53 53 52 51 52 52 53 51 49 49 49 49 47 45 45 42
MIA 26/56 13 13 .500 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 56 56 56 55   55 55 54 53 54 54 55 53 51 51 51 51 49 47 47 44
PHX 27/55 14 13 .518 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 55 NC   55 54 53 54 54 55 53 51 51 51 51 49 47 47 44
MIN 27/55 14 13 .518 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 55 NC 55   54 53 54 54 55 53 51 51 51 51 49 47 47 44
SAS 28/54 15 13 .535 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   53 54 54 NC 53 51 51 51 51 49 47 47 44
LAC 29/53 16 13 .551 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   NC NC NC 53 51 51 51 51 49 47 47 44
GSW 27/55 15 12 .555 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 55 54   55 NC 54 52 52 52 52 50 48 48 45
MIL 27/55 15 12 .555 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 55 54 55   NC 54 52 52 52 52 50 48 48 45
DEN 25/57 14 11 .560 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 57 NC 57 57 56 55 56 56   55 53 53 53 53 51 49 49 46
LAL 28/54 16 12 .571 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 54 NC NC NC   52 52 52 52 50 48 48 45
ORL 30/52 18 12 .600 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   52 52 52 50 48 48 45
NYK 28/54 18 10 .642 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 54   54 54 52 50 50 47
DAL 28/54 18 10 .642 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 54 54   54 52 50 50 47
HOU 27/55 18 9 .666 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 55 55 55   53 51 51 48
MEM 29/53 20 9 .689 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   51 51 48
BOS 28/54 22 6 .785 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   54 51
OKC 27/55 22 5 .814 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 55   52
CLE 29/53 25 4 .862 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: December 22, 2024 2:00pm GMT