It's time to start kicking sand in some faces.

The Orlando Magic begin the softest seven-game stretch of their season tonight, hoping to use it as a springboard to turn an uninspired start into the season they were expecting.

If they can't win consistently now, then winning consistently this season may be out of the question.

"The next 10 days to two weeks will tell us a lot about where we are going this season," veteran power forward Horace Grant said. "We still have 60-some games to play, but it's time to start showing what we can do."

Each of the next seven games are against teams that failed to reach the playoffs last season. Only the Boston Celtics (6-6), tonight's opponent at TD Waterhouse Centre, are at the .500 mark. The other teams have a combined 17-51 record.

The Magic play Chicago, the worst team in the Eastern Conference. They play the Memphis Grizzlies, the worst team in the Western Conference. They play the Los Angeles Clippers, the worst team in the Pacific Division, and they play the Washington Wizards, who have lost nine of their past 10 games. And they play the Atlanta Hawks twice.