NBA Tank Magic Numbers

2021-22 National Basketball Association Tank Magic Numbers

Tank Magic Numbers

Tank GP/R W L W%
ORL 45/37 8 37 .177   35 32 31 30 29 29 27 27 27 24 24 23 23 22 22 23 24 21 21 20 18 18 18 18 18 14 16 14 12
DET 42/40 10 32 .238 NC   37 36 35 34 34 32 32 32 29 29 28 28 27 27 28 29 26 26 25 23 23 23 23 23 19 21 19 17
HOU 45/37 13 32 .288 NC NC   36 35 34 34 32 32 32 29 29 28 28 27 27 28 29 26 26 25 23 23 23 23 23 19 21 19 17
OKC 42/40 14 28 .333 NC NC NC   39 38 38 36 36 36 33 33 32 32 31 31 32 33 30 30 29 27 27 27 27 27 23 25 23 21
IND 44/38 15 29 .340 NC NC NC NC   37 37 35 35 35 32 32 31 31 30 30 31 32 29 29 28 26 26 26 26 26 22 24 22 20
NWO 44/38 16 28 .363 NC NC NC NC NC   38 36 36 36 33 33 32 32 31 31 32 33 30 30 29 27 27 27 27 27 23 25 23 21
SAS 43/39 16 27 .372 NC NC NC NC NC 39   37 37 37 34 34 33 33 32 32 33 34 31 31 30 28 28 28 28 28 24 26 24 22
SAC 46/36 18 28 .391 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   36 36 33 33 32 32 31 31 32 33 30 30 29 27 27 27 27 27 23 25 23 21
ATL 43/39 18 25 .418 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 39 39   36 36 35 35 34 34 35 36 33 33 32 30 30 30 30 30 26 28 26 24
POR 43/39 18 25 .418 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 39   39 36 36 35 35 34 34 35 36 33 33 32 30 30 30 30 30 26 28 26 24
MIN 43/39 21 22 .488 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 39   38 38 37 37 38 39 36 36 35 33 33 33 33 33 29 31 29 27
LAL 43/39 21 22 .488 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   39 38 38 37 37 38 39 36 36 35 33 33 33 33 33 29 31 29 27
LAC 45/37 22 23 .488 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   37 36 36 37 NC 35 35 34 32 32 32 32 32 28 30 28 26
NYK 44/38 22 22 .500 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 38   37 37 38 NC 36 36 35 33 33 33 33 33 29 31 29 27
BOS 45/37 23 22 .511 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   37 NC NC 36 36 35 33 33 33 33 33 29 31 29 27
WAS 44/38 23 21 .522 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 38   NC NC 37 37 36 34 34 34 34 34 30 32 30 28
DEN 42/40 22 20 .523 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 40 40 39 39   NC 38 38 37 35 35 35 35 35 31 33 31 29
TOR 40/42 21 19 .525 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 42 42 41 41 40 40 41   39 39 38 36 36 36 36 36 32 34 32 30
CHA 44/38 24 20 .545 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   38 37 35 35 35 35 35 31 33 31 29
DAL 43/39 24 19 .558 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 39   38 36 36 36 36 36 32 34 32 30
PHI 43/39 25 18 .581 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   37 37 37 37 37 33 35 33 31
MIL 46/36 27 19 .587 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   36 36 36 36 32 34 32 30
CLE 45/37 27 18 .600 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 37   37 37 37 33 35 33 31
BKN 43/39 27 16 .627 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 39 39 39   39 35 37 35 33
MIA 43/39 27 16 .627 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 39 39   39 39 35 37 35 33
CHI 42/40 27 15 .642 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 40 40 40 40   36 38 36 34
MEM 46/36 31 15 .673 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 36 34
UTH 43/39 29 14 .674 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 37   37 35
GSW 43/39 31 12 .720 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 39 NC   37
PHX 42/40 33 9 .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 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 18, 2022 3:00am ET