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The Orlando Magic have obviously fallen in the standings in the last week, as their 6-14 record is tied for 12th place in the East with the Brooklyn Nets. Orlando trails the eighth-place Chicago Bulls by three games and are ahead of the last-place Milwaukee Bucks by two games.
The Magic will be underdogs in at least three of their four games this week. Here's a look at their upcoming schedule:
Monday, December 9th: Magic at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Florida, NBA TV
The Grizzlies, at 9-10 and in a state of transition with rookie head coach Dave Joerger, will be without center Marc Gasol indefinitely with a left knee sprain, while shooting guard Tony Allen and power forward Ed Davis missed the Grizzlies' game Saturday with a bruised hip and sprained ankle, respectively. Point guard Mike Conley leads Memphis, averaging 17.8 points per game on 57 percent True Shooting, and power forward Zach Randolph averages 15.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Former Magic Rookie of the Year Mike Miller, in his first year back with Memphis, averages 6.7 points per game on 59.4 percent True Shooting.
Wednesday, December 11th: Magic at Charlotte Bobcats, 7 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Florida
The Bobcats are improved from the last few seasons, as they are in seventh place in the East with a 9-11 record, with rookie head coach Steve Clifford. Point guard Kemba Walker leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game on just 47.4 percent True Shooting. New veteran acquisition Al Jefferson, averages 15.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is out for several weeks with a broken hand suffered last week.
Friday, December 13th: Cleveland Cavaliers at Magic, 7 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Florida
The Cavaliers are just one game ahead of the Magic in the East, with a 7-13 record, including a 1-10 road record, as coach Mike Brown is in his second tenure as Cleveland head coach. Point guard Kyrie Irving leads the Cavaliers in scoring with 19.7 points per game, along with 5.8 assists, but on mediocre 48 percent True Shooting. Shooting guard Dion Waiters, who is rumored to be on the trading block, averages 14.4 points per game on just 50.2 percent True Shooting. The number-one pick of last summer's draft, small forward Anthony Bennett, is having a horrible time adjusting to the NBA, averaging 2.1 points per game on 27 percent True Shooting. Center Andrew Bynum, bad knees and all, is averaging 9.3 points per game and 5.1 rebounds on 19 minutes per game.
Sunday, December 15th: Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder, 7 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Florida
The Magic find themselves on the road again after just one home game, facing the powerful Thunder. Oklahoma City is 15-4 and tied for second place in the West with the San Antonio Spurs. Forward Kevin Durant is having his usual terrific season, averaging 28.5 points per game on very efficient 60.9 percent True Shooting. Point guard Russell Westbrook, after missing the first week of the season from his offseason knee surgery, is averaging 22.6 points but on inefficient 49.6 percent True Shooting, along with 5.9 assists. Orlando has lost four games in a row to the Thunder, and hasn't won in Oklahoma City since 2008.
