The Orlando Magic schedule for the 2023-2024 was released today at 3 p.m. while Brandon and I were on the show. You can listen to our live reaction and breakdown here:
Now that I've had time to digest the schedule, here are some of my biggest takeaways...
1) Season Debut at Home is HUGE.
This one is obvious. The Magic open up the season with a home game at the Amway Center against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 25th. Every team wants to kick off their season in front of their home crowd, but it's especially true for this Orlando Magic team. The team recorded record numbers last season with three all-time top-5 single game attendances set last season alone. Playing Houston is also a huge plus, as the Rockets are a very new team with a new head coach (Ime Udoka), and new players (Fred VanVleet & Dillon Brooks). This is a great time to play a team who will most likely spend the first quarter of the season finding their groove.
2) Early West Coast Trip
After one game in front of the home crowd, the Magic hit the road for a 4-game west coast trip for games 2-5 of the regular season. Obviously the west coast road trip is always a difficult obstacle every team must go through, so I actually think the timing of this for the Magic is great. It is very easy to lack focus when you are away from home and playing four games in nine days on the west coast. The advantage of getting this WC trip out of the way early, is the players will be locked in due to the buzz of a fresh season. Split the road trip 2-2, and I could see the Magic coming back to Orlando with a 3-2 record.
3) Raw Deal on Televised Games Numbers
The Magic, after not receiving any nationally televised games last season, only got the nod for one game on TNT on Feb. 13 vs the OKC Thunder. The Magic do see an increase in NBA TV games from two last season to four this season, but it's absurd compared to the rest of the league. 24 nationally televised games for the Miami Heat is insane. Yes, they represented the East in the NBA Finals. However, they were the epitome of why you don't need to win the most games in the regular season to compete for the NBA Finals. Remember, the Heat finished 44-38 on the season - good for the 8th seed and a play-in birth. The Atlanta Hawks have triple the amount of nationally televised games. Atlanta was one of the more disorganized organizations across the league. The Magic will remain one of the most intriguing teams in the league, and will shine under the radar.
Check out Brandon and I's live reaction here: