5 Tankable Games That Could Decide Where Anthony Davis Goes in 2012 NBA Draft

It's no secret that as of now, Kentucky forward Anthony Davis is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA draft.  He averaged 14.2 points and 10.4 rebounds as a freshman, but also put up 4.7 blocks.  He's an All-Star big man just waiting to happen and on draft lottery night, teams in line for the first overall pick will be crossing their fingers just so they could have him on their team.  Of course, for the bottom teams in the league, this means that tanking, or intentionally losing games, is probably going to happen right about now.

You see, the worse a team's record is, the greater their odds of obtaining the first pick in the draft are.  That said, there are some games down the stretch featuring some of the league's worst that you know just might be tanked.  When it comes to getting the No. 1 pick, teams don't mess around.

Here are five games that, if tanked, could ultimately decide Davis' fate.

Charlotte Bobcats vs. Sacramento Kings, April 22

This game is going to be interesting to watch because it matches the NBA-worst Bobcats against the Kings, who have the league's fourth-worst record.  That said, the battle for drafting No. 1 could be in full force on the 22nd.

Charlotte doesn't really need to do much to tank, as they have won just seven games all season and have lost a whopping 17 games in a row.  At this rate, they really don't have any reason to play to win, so they'll just do what they always do and lose anyway.

On Sacramento's end, perhaps they might just let Jimmer Fredette accumulate the most minutes and take the most shots, because that's definitely a recipe for disaster.

Charlotte Bobcats vs. Washington Wizards, April 23

If there's a team that needs Davis more than the Bobcats, it's the Wizards.  Thus, just one day after Charlotte faces Sacramento, the John Wall-led youngsters will bring the stink against the NBA's worst in a matchup of the dregs of the league.

The way I see it, John Wall will just put up shot after shot after shot, and maybe Rashard Lewis will get in on the fun too.  Long story short, the Wizards need to lose this game if they want a shot at landing the Kentucky star.

Washington Wizards vs. Miami Heat, April 26

Though Miami may very well rest LeBron and Co. in the final game of the season, the Wizards could still tank this game.  Against Miami's reserves, they'll continue to play awful basketball just so they can increase their odds of taking home No. 1 gold.

Given the state of the team, I don't really think they can afford to bring their A-game in this matchup.

New Orleans Hornets vs. Houston Rockets, April 26

At long last, the New Orleans Hornets have a new owner as New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson recently bought the franchise for $338 million.  Thus, it's time to start from scratch and rebuild from the ground up.

This means getting a great draft position and though New Orleans is basically guaranteed one as the league's second-worst squad, they'll still tank to improve their shots of receiving the No. 1 pick.  Thus, against the Houston Rockets on the last day of the season, they'll stumble their way to what could be an epic loss.

Sacramento Kings vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, April 24

Given how the Thunder are in a dead heat with the San Antonio Spurs for the top spot in the Western Conference, chances are they'll still be playing their starters in this game.  Seeing as how Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook clearly outmatch the likes of Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins, expect Sacramento to tank this one in their last-ditch quest of upping their odds at landing Davis.