The Orlando Magic have a lot to look forward to in the 2024 season.
It feels like this offseason can not end quickly enough after the team, once healthy, made serious strides and knocked on the door of making the postseason.
The arrival of Paolo Banchero has indeed changed everything for the Magic. He wrapped up a Rookie of the Year season and changed the team’s complete outlook in the process.
A 29-28 finish to the season is not something to celebrate with a ticker tape parade. But for a franchise starving for a star and the concrete sign of some long-term potential, it symbolized the start of something special.
Or potentially something special. Nothing in this league is guaranteed and that is the most important lesson of all. Orlando will have to build its defense back up, improve it and find some offense in the process.
The Orlando Magic are aiming to take the next step and climb into the postseason picture this season. It starts with their 2024 schedule, released in full today.
This season for the Magic is one of solidifying the team’s core group and building the foundations for what everyone hopes is a long playoff run. It will be fascinating to watch this team grow and develop, going through the ups and downs of the season while dealing with real winning pressure for the first time.
Management may not be willing to say it, but fans sure are: The expectation for this Magic team is to make the postseason. After all, as the last team eliminated from postseason contention last year, there is only one place to level up.
The first step then of this process now that the roster is set and training camp sits a month and a half away is the schedule. The 82-game (maybe 83?) journey begins with a single step. And each game is a chapter in this story that will hopefully end with some extra basketball in late May.
pov: you have the remote on saturday morning pic.twitter.com/cl3PTo0X8g
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) August 17, 2023
This season introduces a new wrinkle to that with the inaugural In-Season Tournament in November and a chance to get some pressure game practice before the run to the postseason in February and March.
The Magic’s schedule is not easy, including an early season West Coast trip and 15 back-to-backs. However, the Magic did get one national TV game for their trouble (you will have to wait for February although Chet Holmgren’s health may not matter this time around).
It is going to be a fun journey. Let’s begin by laying out the path.