Orlando Magic to Be Tested By 'Tough Schedule Ahead'

The Orlando Magic will have a tough road ahead in its quest for a playoff spot this season.

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic has looked like one of the best teams in the NBA this season, but their strength will be tested by a tough upcoming schedule. 

The Magic have been one of the bigger surprises in the league this season, putting together a 14-6 start that included a franchise-best nine-game winning streak. 

Behind the stellar play of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Orlando looks to be ahead of schedule on its return to relevance in the NBA. However, the team will be tested as December rolls along, with a schedule that includes eight road games to just five home games before the New Year begins. 

Paolo Banchero is averaging 19.5 points per game for the Orlando Magic this season.  / Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

"Their schedule will toughen again from mid-December through late January," The Athletic's Josh Robbins writes. "Their road games include a pair of games in Boston, a game in Milwaukee, a West Coast trip to face the Suns, Warriors, Kings and Nuggets and another four-game road trip to play the Heat, Thunder, Knicks and Hawks. If the Magic are hovering at .500 or better by the start of February, a strong closing kick to the season could net them a top-six playoff spot in the East."

There has been nothing this season to suggest that anything the Magic are doing isn't sustainable, as the nine-game win streak includes victories over contenders like the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics. 

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The biggest part of contending for a playoff spot, or possibly more, is taking care of business against worse teams, which Orlando has been able to do for the most part.