Ranking each month of the Orlando Magic’s 2024-25 schedule by difficulty

The Magic’s most difficult months 

3. November 

After a rather relaxed start to the season in October, the Magic will have to face their first big challenges in November. They will be facing off with the Mavericks, the Thunder, the 76ers, and the Suns. That is one of the projected contenders in the East and three teams that could finish high in the Western Conference standings. 

On top of that, the Magic will also have to play the Cavaliers, Pacers, and Lakers. Luckily, games against the Pistons, Hornets, Wizards, and Nets will soften the blow. 

2. December 

December is an incredibly tough month already and we don’t even know which games will be added due to the NBA Cup yet. In December, the Magic will have a chance to prove themselves against top-tier competition. They will have to face the Knicks, 76ers, and Heat twice each as well as the Suns, Thunder, and Celtics. 

Five straight games will be against some of the best teams in the league—nine if you count the Miami Heat as a real threat in the Eastern Conference. December won’t be easy and depending on which games are eventually added to the schedule, it could easily slide into first place. 

1. January

January will be a crucial test for the Magic. Just as in December, the Magic will have to face several of the top teams in the league. They will be playing the Knicks, Timberwolves, Bucks, 76ers, Celtics, and Nuggets in seven consecutive games. That is seven games against teams that currently look like legitimate contenders. The Nuggets had a bad offseason but we should never count out Nikola Jokic. 

Surrounding that stretch are games against the Pistons, Raptors, Jazz, Trail Blazers, and Heat. On paper, only the Heat and maybe the Raptors sound like a real threat to the Magic. Toronto just shipped out Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby last season but they now have an interesting group of young talent. They will likely give the Magic a challenge, especially after playing contenders for seven straight games. 

No matter who you consider a real threat, the Magic cannot afford to drop any of the games against non-contenders in January.