Orlando Magic’s “easy” remaining schedule not what it seems

The Orlando Magic have a real chance to make the Playoffs and a schedule that seems ripe for it. But it is more difficult than it appears.

The Orlando Magic will get back to work Wednesday afternoon following the extended All-Star Break.

They will do so welcoming back Nikola Vucevic from the All-Star festivities in Charlotte during the weekend. They will do so with lots to play for — just one-half game behind the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat for the final Playoff spot and only three games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the sixth seed.

This will be an all-out 23-game sprint to the finish. Every game should and will have Playoff pressure on it. Because, frankly, the Playoffs are on the line.

The Magic are on a roll and will have to get themselves revved back up after an eight-day layoff following the All-Star Break. Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls still feels a long way away — at least, the Orlando Magic get two practices first.

It feels like the Magic get to ease back into the games with the 14-44 Bulls. The Bulls entered the All-Star Break on a win and new acquisition Otto Porter is averaging 22.5 points per game on a 71.6 percent effective field goal percentage in four games since the trade. But this is still a struggling team.

This is all to say, there is more than meets the eye with these teams. And the Magic will have their work cut out for them every time they go out.

And that will be the case every night in this 23-game sprint to the finish. The Magic may seem like they have a favorable schedule. But Orlando will have plenty of work to do and plenty of pitfalls to navigate.

The “easy” schedule is not all it seems.

The Magic have changed in that they are playing more consistent and better basketball, piling up wins in impressive ways. They have cemented their identity as a defensive team and put it to deadly efficiency with a more patient and deadly offensive attack.

That can all go away quickly. This is still the same roster and still the same team with the small margin for error. There is no team on the schedule the Magic can look past or overlook. What has been most pleasant about this recent seven wins in eight games stretch is the Magic’s ability to take care of business.

They will have to do that an more. Nothing is easy for this team or on the road to the Playoffs. And while the Magic do statistically have an easy schedule, there is more than meets the eye to it.

According to Tankathon, the Magic have the third easiest remaining schedule by opponent win percentage. That includes two games against the New York Knicks, two against the Cleveland Cavaliers, that final game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday and two more games with the Atlanta Hawks.

Those are all games the Magic have to figure they must win. That should be seven more wins to get the team to at least 34 wins. That does not include the pair of games remaining against the Memphis Grizzlies and one more against the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans.

There are a lot of games remaining against teams behind the Magic in the standings. It will be difficult to win them all, but the Magic cannot afford to lose more than one or two of those games total.

Especially considering who the Magic are chasing and their schedule.

The Wizards and Pistons have the sixth and seventh easiest schedules the rest of the way (although the Wizards appear to be heading in the opposite direction with their roster moves and John Wall injury). The Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets have the second and third hardest remaining schedules. Miami has the seventh hardest schedule.

There is the real potential for some extreme shifts in the Eastern Conference standings. And the Magic are a team that could easily surge up the standings (as they have the last few weeks).

But while there is still plenty of opportunity for land mines. The team’s records the Magic play may seem relatively easy, but the schedule is not as straightforward as it seems.

Orlando has played 31 home games already. That means the team’s remaining home/road split is 10 home games and 13 road games left. That includes a closing stretch that sees the Magic on the road for six of the team’s final eight games.

Orlando Magic

That includes a four-game trip that will feature critical games against the Miami Heat (March 26) and Detroit Pistons (March 28) before closing out with the Indiana Pacers (March 30) and Toronto Raptors (April 1).

Even coming out of the All-Star Break will feature some tricky games.

Steve Clifford has said the most difficult part of the season in the Playoff chase is the two weeks leading into and out of the All-Star Break.

The Magic showed great focus and took advantage of the trip into the break. The trip out will provide some opportunities for big ones. But also plenty of speed traps.

The Orlando Magic wrap their season series with the Golden State Warriors next Thursday (this time with Stephen Curry, presumably) and that represents the only home game from Feb. 24 (after Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls) to March 5.

In fact, in the first seven games coming out of the All-Star Break, the Magic will play just two teams with losing records — Friday’s game against the Bulls and the Feb. 26 game against the Knicks.

On paper, then, the Magic’s schedule looks like it will be easy. And there are plenty of opportunities for wins still — the longest remaining homestand is a five-game set from March 14-25 that features the Cavaliers, Hawks and Grizzlies among others. But this schedule is more difficult than it seems.

Orlando is in the hunt. But there seem to be two things that have to happen for the team to make the Playoffs.

The first is the Magic have to hit the ground running right out of the break. Second, the team has to take advantage of that middle part and homestand to get in Playoff positioning before that closing kick.

And then they just have to hang on.

Orlando is at a point where it has to focus on itself and win every game individually. The team should feel it can win almost any game remaining on its schedule. The Playoffs are within grasp.

But the path is not as easy as it might appear.