The Magic’s schedule
Schedule takes Magic away from Amway for 28 of 1st 49 games
is announced, starting Oct. 18 at home against the Heat.
If the Orlando Magic don’t jell early in their 2017-18 season, they could find themselves out of playoff contention by the time Feb. 1 rolls around.
The Magic will play 28 of their first 49 regular-season games on the road — a difficult schedule for any franchise, let a team that has gone five consecutive years without making the playoffs.
Because of the road-heavy early schedule, the Magic must turn their notoriously quiet arena, Amway Center, into a homecourt advantage, beginning with their regular-season opener Oct. 18 against the Miami Heat in Orlando.
Here’s a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the Magic’s 2017-18 schedule.
The good
The Magic will play 15 pairs of back-to-back games. That’s tied for the Magic’s smallest number of back-to-back games since they played 13 pairs during the 2012-13 season. That said, NBA teams will play an average of 14.4 back-to-backs this season, so the Magic will play slightly more back-tobacks than the league average.
No NBA team will play four games in five nights.
Orlando will have a sevengame homestand, beginning on March 14 and ending March 30. That’s the team’s longest homealone
stand since it played seven consecutive home games during the 2010-11 season.
The bad
Orlando currently is not scheduled to play any nationally televised games on ESPN or TNT — an obvious sign that the team isn’t considered a good ratings draw.
Most NBA teams dislike playing the second night of a back-to-back in Denver because of the long drive from Denver’s airport to downtown Denver and because of Denver’s altitude. Well, the Magic will play the Suns in Phoenix on Nov. 10 and then will face the Nuggets on Nov. 11.
The Magic almost certainly will celebrate Thanksgiving away from their families. The team will play in Minneapolis on the day before the holiday and then will play in Boston the day after the holiday. It wouldn’t make logistical sense for the Magic to return to Orlando between the games.
Orlando’s seven-game homestand carries a potential negative. Perhaps it would’ve been beneficial to the team if the league had scheduled the homestand earlier in the season. In recent seasons, the Magic already were well out of playoff contention by mid-March. If that scenario occurs again, then the team won’t derive any benefit from having seven consecutive home games.
The Magic will play two road games against the Nets and two road games against the Knicks, but none of those games are grouped together. Logistically, it would’ve been easier on the Magic to play the Nets and Knicks in adjacent games. Instead, the Magic have to travel to the Big Apple on four separate occasions.
Opportunities
The Magic will have a chance to begin their season well. After they open against the Heat at home, they’ll face the Nets in Brooklyn, play the Cavaliers in Cleveland and then host the Nets in Orlando.
Obviously, the game against LeBron James’ Cavs will be difficult. But the Magic posted a 3-1 record last season against the Heat and a 2-1 record last season against the Nets.
The Magic need to take advantage of their games against the Heat and the Nets.
Danger zone
The first half of March could be a backbreaker. The Magic will play home games on March 2 against the Pistons and on March 3 against the Grizzlies.
On March 4, the Magic will leave for their longest road trip of the season, a five-game stretch in which they’ll face the Jazz, Lakers, Kings, Clippers and Spurs.
The road game against the Spurs will be on March 13, and then the Magic will host the Bucks on March 14 on the second night of a back-to-back. That’s a rough way to begin a homestand.
Of note
The Magic will take their first West Coast trip Nov. 10-15, with games against Phoenix, Denver, Golden State and Portland.
Single-game tickets will go on sale on Aug. 31 at 10 a.m. For more information, visit OrlandoMagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.