Orlando Magic Schedule Breakdown and Predictions

 

Not being overly Optimistic will be very difficult with me. With high hopes for Paolo, a full season of Fultz and JI (knocking on wood as we speak) and health throughout the whole team. Being pessimistic will be difficult for me.

October Record: 3-4

Key Games: 

Det: A great young team but I think they are a year or two behind us, in terms of continuity and being 8-10 deep.

ATL: Paolo vs. Murray? Of course BUT the playoff/play-in team, coming off a good offseason, Paolo will have to get his revenge later on in the season. (Spoiler: HE DOES)

CHA: Finally a win at home. I think Charlotte had a tough offseason in losing Miles Bridges, new coach (a good one at that) but I think they’ll take a little to get going.

November Record: 8-7

Key Games:

OKC: Paolo vs. Chet? On TNT? This is as big as it gets this year for us. A lot of noise should be around that game so I think we have a chance to set a tone there with how we are viewed as a team around the league. WIN.

SAC: A team of our caliber, where I think we should both be fighting for a play-in spot, yes SAC is probably better right now but I think at home, with two winnable games ahead, we come out firing and hungry for this one.

ATL: This is where Paolo gets his revenge, at home in hopefully an electric Amway, the Magic should come away with the W. This will be a tough one, won’t be surprised with a loss here as well, as ATL I think is poised for a really good season.
UPSET: Need a few of these a year, Phoenix a team with a bad end to the year and turmoil over Ayton could be a recipe to upset win early on.

December Record: 8-7

Key Games:

TOR: I think there are going to be some games that we probably shouldn’t be winning but we do. This is one of them, I think it’s a team we match up decently with.

HOU: I just think HOU is a couple years away from being really competitive barring any unexpected development. They have some solid players (Jalen Green being great one day) but they’re built like a rec league team, just shot chuckers. I think they’re the worst team in the league for now.

WAS: I was going back and forth on this one, they felt like a bogey team a few years ago but now, I’m just like eh. They’re a key game and a win here is needed after losing 5 of 7 and I think a home game against a division foe is what we need to get going again.

Notes: I think around December and January is where the bestteams settle in and teams start to click a little bit. I think the “True” results start to really happen.

January Record: 6-8

Key Games: 

OKC: A game where we should win, I just believe we can’t give      away these games with (what I think) are worse teams than us right now. So I think this will be a good win before starting the West coast road trip.

Utah: Another one of those gimme games. They gutted their rosters in hopes of rebuilding their rosters later down the road. Other than Sexton, I don’t really see a threat on that team at this time. Should be a win and the only win on the road trip.

BOS: Another one of those UPSETS. This is being fresh off of the BOS coach turmoil so I think this may be a down year for BOS. Danilo down with an ACL injury and front office turmoil seems a little daunting even for a team that just went to the finals. Hope we can sneak one here.

February Record: 6-5

Key Games:

MIN: I guess this is an upset? I don’t buy the two big sets, I think with some good guard play you can easily get them out of their comfort zone. They should be much better defensively BUT we take the W here. 

NYK: This one’s for my friends who love the knicks. BING BONG another L for them. This team will probably bleed points and I like us against them, always. 

DEN: A loss here and I really wanted to go WIN here. I think that’s one of those games we can catch a big team sleeping, close to the all star break, teams are tired, on the road. We can potentially steal one there but inevitably they are just too good with Jamal and MPJ back so a loss nonetheless. I think it'll be a great game to really measure where we are at as a team.

March Record: 8-7

Key Games:

POR: Coming down the stretch, at home, I think we are playing urgent and at home, we should by now have started to protect home court.  I think this is a great game to make a statement and come away with a win in pursuing that play in spot. We match up well, if we can keep Dame tamed (and a fan isn’t heckling him so he drops 40+) we should be able to come away with a win.

MIA: Hate em, So a win is a MUST here. I’ve got nothing else for this win, just HATE them.

LAL: Seems like we come away with a yearly win against the Lakers but this is not that year sadly. I think around this time is when they are ramping up and I think they’ll be a much better team this year. 

WAS: Playing them late in the year and with Play-IN on both of our minds, I think this will be a big stretch to come away with both wins against them. I just like our roster better than there’s but I could see it going either way.

Notes: We catch stride towards the end of the year, with health on our side and some of the best continuity in the league, I think that’ll help us BIG TIME down the stretch.

April Record: 3-2

Key Games: I mean, they’re all key games, coming down the stretch, we may be lucking out with playing playoff teams. They may be resting, especially older teams like Miami and Brooklyn. I think a win against Cleveland is a must here and we can win one at home. Detroit is hopefully at a stage where they are out of play-in and are just tanking for the better pick and Miami should be resting their best guys, I expect them to be top 3-4 seed.

Final Record: 42 - 40

Am I a biased Orlando Magic fan? Sure. But I am absolutely making the most optimistic record prediction that I can think of. This would be a GREAT year for us. One of the youngest teams in the league, with TALENT but also some aged younger guys like Markelle, JI, Wendell, Mo as well as very good Vets in Terrence Ross and Gary Harris. Everything would have to go right this year for us to be over .500 but that is exactly what I think this year is going to be for us. We have done everything by the book, invested in our players, invested in our INJURED players and our time may not be this year but it will be soon.





 
Stephen Cameron