The Orlando Magic released their 2017-18 schedule. They will open their 29th season against the Miami Heat on Oct. 18 at the Amway Center.
The Orlando Magic will open their 29th season on Oct. 18 against the Miami Heat at the Amway Center, the league announced Monday as the league’s full 2017-18 season schedule was released.
Orlando will make zero appearances on national television this upcoming season and just three scheduled appearances on NBATV. Every game will be televised locally on FSFlorida.
That is expected as the Magic won just 29 games last season and lack any of the star power the national television audiences want to see. Aaron Gordon is the only player with much national attraction after his two appearances in the Slam Dunk Contest.
That is not enough to draw national eyeballs. The Magic, as a rebuilding team, are still looking for ways to improve and compete for a Playoff spot. They will do most of that without the national spotlight on them. It is safe to say, NBA and television executives do not expect the Magic to make big moves this season.
Whether or not Orlando improved, the team will have its chance to prove them all wrong in a seemingly watered-down Eastern Conference.
The path at the start provides some stiff challenges, but also an opportunity for Orlando to get off to a fast start.
After taking on the Miami Heat on opening night, Orlando will travel to the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers. They then will face the Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs at home. Among the first 10 games of the season, five will come against Playoff teams. But that includes a matchup with the Chicago Bulls.
The Magic will need to build a strong record in those early games. They will make their first big road trip Nov. 10-15. That trip will include Orlando’s first game against the Golden State Warriors. The other will come in Orlando at the Amway Center on Dec. 1.
The Magic may very well know what kind of team they have early with the start the team has and the West Coast trip that looms early.
Orlando Magic
Orlando will make another four-game East Coast road trip at the end of November. The team will not be home for Thanksgiving as they have been for several years. Orlando usually made a West Coast trip in early December. That was moved up this year.
The Magic will host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, Jan. 6 and Tuesday, Feb. 6. But January will be very road heavy. The team has just five home games in the month.
Their second big West Coast trip comes from March 5-13. That is followed by the Magic’s season-long seven-game homestand that will feature games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. It is a manageable homestand that, if the Magic are in contention for a Playoff spot, could be absolutely key to their Playoff positioning and chances.
Orlando closes the season April 11 at the Amway Center against the Washington Wizards.
In all, Orlando will play 15 back to backs this year, the same number as last year. That includes a home-home back to back when the team hosts the Detroit Pistons on March 2 before facing the Memphis Grizzlies on March 3.
The NBA put a special emphasis this year on reducing the number of back to backs and eliminating any three games in four night stretches. The league even shrunk the preseason by two weeks to start the season early.
The Magic do not get a benefit to this in terms of back to backs. But obviously, the added rest will benefit them down the road. Especially with that extremely long homestand late in the season. It is up to the Magic to make that matter.
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The full Magic schedule is up at OrlandoMagic.com.