NBA Tank Magic Numbers

2021-22 National Basketball Association Tank Magic Numbers

Tank Magic Numbers

Tank GP/R W L W%
DET 3/79 0 3 .000   79 79 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 76 76 76 76 75 75 76 75 75
CHA 5/77 0 5 .000 77   77 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 74 74 74 74 73 73 74 73 73
MIL 5/77 0 5 .000 77 77   76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 74 74 74 74 73 73 74 73 73
POR 5/77 1 4 .200 NC NC NC   77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 75 75 75 75 74 74 75 74 74
LAL 5/77 1 4 .200 NC NC NC 77   77 77 77 77 77 77 77 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 76 75 75 75 75 74 74 75 74 74
PHX 4/78 1 3 .250 NC NC NC 78 78   78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 76 76 76 76 75 75 76 75 75
SAS 4/78 1 3 .250 NC NC NC 78 78 78   78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 77 76 76 76 76 75 75 76 75 75
UTH 3/79 1 2 .333 NC NC NC 79 79 79 79   79 79 79 79 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 76 76 77 76 76
CLE 3/79 1 2 .333 NC NC NC 79 79 79 79 79   79 79 79 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 76 76 77 76 76
BKN 3/79 1 2 .333 NC NC NC 79 79 79 79 79 79   79 79 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 76 76 77 76 76
WAS 3/79 1 2 .333 NC NC NC 79 79 79 79 79 79 79   79 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 76 76 77 76 76
DAL 2/80 1 1 .500 NC NC NC 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80   79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 78 78 78 78 77 77 78 77 77
LAC 4/78 2 2 .500 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   78 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 76 76 77 76 76
TOR 4/78 2 2 .500 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 78   78 78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 76 76 77 76 76
MEM 4/78 2 2 .500 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 78 78   78 78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 76 76 77 76 76
DEN 4/78 2 2 .500 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 78 78 78   78 78 78 78 78 77 77 77 77 76 76 77 76 76
HOU 3/79 2 1 .666 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 79 79 79 79   79 79 79 79 78 78 78 78 77 77 78 77 77
NYK 3/79 2 1 .666 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 79 79 79 79 79   79 79 79 78 78 78 78 77 77 78 77 77
BOS 3/79 2 1 .666 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 79 79 79 79 79 79   79 79 78 78 78 78 77 77 78 77 77
ATL 3/79 2 1 .666 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 79 79 79 79 79 79 79   79 78 78 78 78 77 77 78 77 77
IND 3/79 2 1 .666 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79   78 78 78 78 77 77 78 77 77
CHI 4/78 3 1 .750 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 78   78 78 77 77 78 77 77
GSW 4/78 3 1 .750 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 78 78   78 77 77 78 77 77
ORL 4/78 3 1 .750 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 78 78 78   77 77 78 77 77
NWO 4/78 3 1 .750 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC   78 78 78 77 77 78 77 77
MIA 5/77 4 1 .800 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   77 NC 77 77
OKC 5/77 4 1 .800 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 77   NC 77 77
SAC 3/79 3 0 1.000 NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC NC 79 79 79 79 78 78   78 78
PHI 4/78 4 0 1.000 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 78 78 NC   78
MIN 4/78 4 0 1.000 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 78 78 NC 78  

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: October 13, 2022 4:43pm GMT