Orlando Magic 2022 Schedule: 5 key stretches to the season

Orlando Magic’s key stretches to 2022

Second homestand (Jan. 21-30)

Those first sets of games are wide swaths. The first two months of the Orlando Magic’s season are going to be a long slog. They needed to be talked together in those large chunks because that will define the Magic’s season in so many ways.

How far behind the Magic fall in this stretch will determine what they can accomplish the rest of the season — or even if the last half of the season and the “easy” parts will even matter. Yes, the schedule will lighten up, especially toward the end (we will get there).

The first really advantageous part of the schedule will come with the team’s second real homestand of the season from Jan. 21-30. Orlando will get five games at home to end January to try to build some momentum and comfort.

The opponents will not be easy.

The Los Angeles Lakers (Jan. 21) and LA Clippers (Jan. 26) make their lone trips to the Amway Center. So too does Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks (Jan. 30) to close the homestand.

These homestands are not just important because home games statistically are easier to win — especially for young teams. It is the practice time the team can gain from being at home and having full access to their gym.

When the Magic are home, they are better able to schedule practices and get their work in to improve individually as a team. This is the real value for young teams at staying at home.

And at the midpoint of the season, having this check-up to spend time and reinforce things the Magic have probably not had much time to work on since training camp will be a critical time for this young team.

If Orlando is going to score some upset sand fill in those shades of what their team will be, it is likely going to come during this stretch of games.