Orlando Magic Daily
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5 questions the Orlando Magic face in season’s second quarter

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Nov 23, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) shoots the ball in front of Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (11) during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) shoots the ball in front of Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (11) during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Frank Vogel, Orlando Magic
Nov 14, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Frank Vogel reacts to a foul call in the second half of the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana Pacers beat the Orlando Magic 88-69. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

How do you handle the schedule?

The Magic opened the season with one of the easiest schedules in the league. And they are below the .500 line. That has certainly set off some warning lights, especially as the team struggled to find their identity.

They appeared to have found something after a three-game losing streak at home during Thanksgiving and the start of the road trip. This early December road trip was going to be a big test point to start the second quarter.

So far the Magic have passed with one minor hiccup. A 3-1 record to start this road trip is still very stellar.

Orlando takes on its only four-games-in-five-nights stretch of the season this week beginning in Washington on Tuesday. It is more or less an extension of the road trip.

In the next 20 games, the Magic do not have any long road trips. And they have a fairly balanced and manageable schedule. They take on the L.A. Clippers, Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets. But the remaining games are against teams the Magic are either fighting for Playoff positioning with or are below them in the standings.

Like the ending to the first quarter, the Magic will head in for the season with their first big West Coast road trip in early January. And the third quarter is when the schedule really begins to toughen up — the West Coast trip and several long road trips with a NCAA Tournament road trip and the WrestleMania road trip upcoming at the end of the season.

The next 20 games will have plenty more opportunities to bank some wins again. And the Magic need to use this as the time to race back into the hunt.