The Orlando Magic know the order in which they will face each of the NBA’s 29 other teams in the 2026-27 season after the schedule was released on Thursday.
For Orlando, the upcoming season is a chance to prove it can take another step with another year of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Desmond Bane forming its nucleus, as well as Sean Sweeney providing a new voice in his first year as the organization's head coach.
After acquiring Bane last offseason, the Magic’s expectations skyrocketed. They had already been seen as an up-and-coming team, and the addition of Bane to what was then a weakened Eastern Conference sparked speculation about the kind of deep run Orlando could make in the postseason.
The acquisition of Bane was as advertised and more. Bane appeared in all 82 regular-season contests and participated in each game in the postseason, all while showing on multiple occasions that he can take over a game if necessary.
However, the Magic’s season as a whole was largely underwhelming. They finished eighth in the East after logging a 45-37 record due to injuries and inconsistencies. Orlando looked promising in the first round of the playoffs against the Detroit Pistons, but it ultimately blew a 3-1 lead.
Now, the question is whether or not the Magic will improve even more, and if that potential improvement will reflect in the win total. On the latest episode of Full Court Magic, I predicted the record the Magic will finish with:
“I think that they are only gonna be two games better. I think that they will go 47-35 this season. I think that there's so many things that have to go right for this group. And, you know, at some point, they're gonna face bumps in the road under their new coach. As skilled as Sean Sweeney is and the experience he has accrued as an assistant, he is a rookie in his role, and he is trying to lead a young team. And like we talked about, this is a better Eastern Conference. And there's a lot of challenges here just within their own division.
And in that Southeast division, they are going to be facing those opponents the most. And there's no team that's gonna roll over, not like before. But I do think that a motivated Paolo Banchero, a new voice in the locker room, and hopefully some continued continuity, you know, among this group can help them at least get a couple more wins.”