5 Orlando Magic games we are already looking forward to

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ORLANDO, FLORIDA – APRIL 10: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Amway Center on April 10, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

The dog days of NBA August are well here.

The league is watching pro-ams and analyzing Instagram and social media beefs between players while everyone is in a holding pattern waiting for the international basketball season to begin and for the schedule to come out.

That is the next big landmark on the NBA calendar.

The schedule usually comes out in early or mid-August. And everyone is waiting for this piece of the puzzle to come into place.

The league appears to be waiting as long as it can for the potential trade of Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant to make their schedule and finalize the national TV slate. But at this point, it does not seem like that is coming down any time soon.

The Orlando Magic are waiting for the schedule to come out. While they wait, here are some games we are already looking forward to.

So everyone is waiting for the schedule to get finalized — teams should already have a draft of the schedule but have to keep it secret under penalty of severe fines. The fans will have to wait a little bit longer to map out the next eight months of their lives.

In Orlando, everyone is eager to see the season tip-off.

The excitement for the top overall pick, Paolo Banchero, is palpable (seriously, I look at the traffic on this site). Fans here are eager to see the development for young players like Franz Wagner, who is getting set for Eurobasket with Germany, and Jalen Suggs. They are eager to see Jonathan Isaac’s return after a two-year absence and a full year with Markelle Fultz.

For a team with just 22 wins to build on from last year, there is a lot of optimism for the Magic. And so everyone is just eager to see how it all comes together.

The schedule is a big part of that, determining the way the season may progress and at what points the team should be able to zoom ahead. The chance for this young team to make the playoffs may well be determined by how the NBA composes the team’s schedule and where the easier parts and tough parts exist.

We still have to wait for that. But the anticipation to play certain teams has already grown. The beauty of the NBA schedule is we know we will see every team at least twice. So who are the teams the Magic should be looking forward to playing? We have those answers.