The Orlando Magic are falling in the standings, but with reinforcements coming back, the Magic have an opportunity to make up ground and aim toward home-court advantage. The Magic currently sit 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for fourth place in the Eastern Conference and 5 games behind the New York Knicks for third. Last season, it was a similar story, and the Magic ultimately finished in fifth place.
This season, Orlando needs to take the lessons from last season to make up ground and hold onto a top-four seed in the East. There is no win given in the NBA, but the next stretch of games is an opportunity for the Magic to get bodies back and string together some wins.
Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs should be back soon. Wagner has been going through contact while ramping up. According to ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth, Wagner could return in 7-10 days. Jalen Suggs ( back strain ) and Goga Bitadze ( concussion ) have slowly progressed, but it seems they will both return sooner rather than later.
The Magic must take advantage of the next few games
As for the schedule, the Magic have opportunities to win some games and start working their way up the standings. In the next six games, the Magic will play the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers ( twice ), Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and the Utah Jazz. Except for the Pistons, every team is considered a tanking team, and the Magic need to find a way to win. The Miami Heat are going through internal turmoil, and Orlando needs to take advantage.
The Magic can't afford to lose these games. The Magic already fell to the Utah Jazz on January 5th. If Orlando is serious about fighting for home-court in the playoffs, these are the games the team needs to find a way to win. The Magic can't allow this three-game losing streak to continue and expand.
These next six games will largely impact the remainder of the season. If the Magic can take care of business, they will find themselves in a good spot while getting players back and continuing to fight for a top seed. On the other hand, Orlando only leads the 9th-seeded Pistons by half a game. If the Magic continue to struggle and let games slip past them, the Magic are going to find themselves in a deep hole and struggling to finish in the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic can't afford to squander this chance to make up ground. The team did a decent job of surviving nearly impossible games. Now, as the team gets healthier and is facing a stretch of winnable games, it is time for the Magic to rise in the standings.