Magic Remaining Schedule: Reason For Optimism?
The final stretch of the season won't be "easy" or "hard" for the Orlando Magic ... At least according to the NBA's calculations.
With six weeks left of the regular season, the Magic have the 17th toughest remaining schedule in the league. Orlando's "average" strength of schedule is measured by cumulative opponent winning percentage, back-to-backs, rest-advantage and home/road games.
With much thanks to Paolo Banchero, who has proven to be one of the building blocks of the young roster, the 13th-place Magic are currently four games in the loss column out of Play-In Tournament position.
Of the six teams with a chance at the final three Play-In spots in the East, Orlando has the best record since December. Orlando's top-ten defense over its past 34 games has translated to a 19-15 record over that span.
Although their schedule is middle of the pack in terms of "toughness", the Magic are one of three teams with only two back-to-backs left to play, according to the NBA. As one league’s worst team (1-10) in the second games of back-to-backs, this is a good thing for Orlando's postseason push.
Orlando opens its final regular season stretch on Thursday as seven-point favorites vs. the Detroit Pistons. It is the first matchup between the two teams in nearly two months and the Magic looks to pick up the first win of the four-game season series.
Around the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers will be tested, with the most difficult remaining schedule in the association. Their post-NBA All-Star break schedule is busy and tough: the Sixers have 15 road games, two more than any other team has left to play
The Dallas Mavericks have the league’s easiest remaining schedule, with 13 of their 22 remaining games against teams with records currently at or below .500. Dallas looks to capitalize on a post-break schedule that starts with the longest home stand of the Mavs' season. The Mavs play six games over 13 days at home.
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