Tank | GP/R | W | L | W% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HOU | 82/0 | 20 | 62 | .243 | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
ORL | 82/0 | 22 | 60 | .268 | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
DET | 82/0 | 23 | 59 | .280 | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
OKC | 82/0 | 24 | 58 | .292 | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
IND | 82/0 | 25 | 57 | .304 | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
POR | 82/0 | 27 | 55 | .329 | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
SAC | 82/0 | 30 | 52 | .365 | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
LAL | 82/0 | 33 | 49 | .402 | | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
SAS | 82/0 | 34 | 48 | .414 | | | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
WAS | 82/0 | 35 | 47 | .426 | | | | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
NWO | 82/0 | 36 | 46 | .439 | | | | | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
NYK | 82/0 | 37 | 45 | .451 | | | | | | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
LAC | 82/0 | 42 | 40 | .512 | | | | | | | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
CHA | 82/0 | 43 | 39 | .524 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
ATL | 82/0 | 43 | 39 | .524 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
CLE | 82/0 | 44 | 38 | .536 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
BKN | 82/0 | 44 | 38 | .536 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
CHI | 82/0 | 46 | 36 | .561 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
MIN | 82/0 | 46 | 36 | .561 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
TOR | 82/0 | 48 | 34 | .585 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
DEN | 82/0 | 48 | 34 | .585 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
UTH | 82/0 | 49 | 33 | .597 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
PHI | 82/0 | 51 | 31 | .622 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
BOS | 82/0 | 51 | 31 | .622 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
MIL | 82/0 | 51 | 31 | .622 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ᰬ | ← | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
DAL | 82/0 | 52 | 30 | .634 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ← | ← | ← | ← | |
MIA | 82/0 | 53 | 29 | .646 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | |
GSW | 82/0 | 53 | 29 | .646 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ᰬ | ← | ← | |
MEM | 82/0 | 56 | 26 | .682 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ← | |
PHX | 82/0 | 64 | 18 | .780 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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: May 12, 2022 1:00am ET