It’s finally here!

Start saving the dates and planning those trips to downtown Orlando; the NBA just released its league-wide 2022-23 schedule. For a community that was starved for any sort of basketball content, fans from every fanbase can rejoice as the curtain begins to unveil on the dawn of a new season. Let’s take a look at the exciting path that lies ahead of this young and improving Magic team, and what the release of the schedule can tell us regarding our hopes of making the play-in tournament.

Marquee Matchups

Over the course of a short few months, the relentlessly loyal Magic fans gave some much needed strength to this community’s reputation— at a certain cost, nonetheless. After a decade of being the NBA’s punching bag, this talented squad is now clearly on a path to success in the near future, so it goes without saying that a few enemies have been and will be made along the way. So which games should you be marking on your calendar? 

Atlanta Hawks

One of the notable matchups occurs early on in the season when Orlando’s Paolo Banchero faces off against Atlanta’s newly acquired All-Star Dejounte Murray. Banchero and Murray swirled around NBA headlines after some viral clips and Instagram stories from a Pro-Am game made it obvious the two don’t exactly seem to get along. The Magic will face the Hawks in Atlanta on October 21st, their second game of the season and first stint of a back-to-back. The game will be televised on League Pass/local network (Bally’s) at 7:30 PM EST. Be on the lookout for a dominant second career game from Orlando’s own P5. 

Boston Celtics

The first overall pick will be making plenty of noise in Amway for the first time when the Magic take on the Boston Celtics on Saturday, October 22nd at 7:00 PM EST, televised on League Pass/local network. One thing that loyal Magic fans can count on is that no matter how good the Boston Celtics may be, the Magic always seem to make it competitive with them at some point in the regular season. We should be in for a treat during Paolo Banchero’s home debut.

Oklahoma City Thunder

In Orlando’s only non-NBATV national television matchup, they will face off against the number-two pick-led Oklahoma City Thunder in Paycom Center at 7:30 PM EST, televised on TNT. Many are anticipating a heated contest due to Paolo and Chet’s connections throughout the draft process. It’s also the Magic’s biggest talent showcase on a national stage, excluding a postseason appearance.

Houston Rockets

The draft-night frenzy that shook up many mock drafts is now ready to take full effect. Jabari Smith Jr. and the rebuilding Houston Rockets will be taking on Paolo and the Magic on November 7th at 7:15 pm in Orlando, televised on League Pass/local network. It will also be the third night of a cozy 7-game home stretch. Houston fans and Magic fans alike took note of Jabari’s reaction when Orlando passed on him, signaling that Smith Jr. will almost certainly take this game personally. How will the Rook vs. Rook matchup fair in Amway? 

What makes for a great basketball game is great competition. With the expectation of a much healthier Orlando team along with the massive addition of Paolo Banchero, this team will definitely be caught in more clutch, game-on-the-line scenarios with the league’s top teams. It’s also crucial to note how many teams have gotten better and worse throughout the course of the offseason. Let’s break down what the talent balance amongst the league means for our schedule.

The Return of the West

For the majority of last season, many pegged the Eastern Conference as the more competitive conference due to its tight standings that saw the 43 win Charlotte Hornets earn only the 10th seed. There’s many reasons why this likely won’t happen again, but it can all be credited to one larger issue: the power imbalance. Teams such as the Clippers and Nuggets are now going into this season fully healthy, adding players like Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr.

This immediately creates two realistic contenders out of teams who, last year, were middle of the pack teams that were playoff throwaways. The Rudy Gobert trade shapes Minnesota as a likely top-4 team in the West as well. Factor in the return of young prodigy Zion Williamson and the downfall of Brooklyn (maybe?)... There’s really no doubt about it — the Western Conference will steal countless wins from the East this season. 

Crunch the Numbers

Every season, the schedulers at the NBA tend to gloss over some factors, geographically or time-related. Many fans believe schedule-induced fatigue has consistently been a downfall for the Magic. Unfortunately for Orlando, it’s not exactly looking any different this season in terms of schedule difficulty. The Magic were given 13 separate instances of back-to-backs — 6 of these being an away game to away game instances. 

By the end of the NBA year, a team's record is normally impacted by stretches — simply put, the NBA schedule is just like the game of basketball; it’s a game of runs. The Magic have their fair share of tough weeks throughout the 82-game schedule. From November 26 to December 20th, the Magic take on 8 playoff teams in a 14-game stretch. According to tankathon.com, the Magic are ranked as having the 5th toughest schedule across the league in their formula that uses past win percentage, travel time, and games played against contenders relative to the team in question. 

To cap it off, the Magic are still heavily underappreciated by the national media, netting only 4 national television games including three NBATV matchups (two against the Knicks). Orlando was also one of four teams to not receive a single ESPN or ABC showing (Utah, OKC, Detroit and Orlando). I guess the number one pick isn't enough to entice the casual fan.

Way-Too-Early Postseason Expectations

Truthfully, this schedule only outlined how much of an uphill battle this season will be for Orlando. While it’s true that this team is gushing with young talent, all signs point to Orlando participating in yet another painful, loss-heavy season. The Magic will have to prove time and time again that they’re a force to be reckoned with.  To truly make that leap from sorrow to stardom, Orlando must come out of the gates swinging, striking fear into opponents hearts when they see our names in the schedule. 

Buckle in, Magic fans, the road to winning starts now!