Wednesday night was to be the opening night of the Orlando Magic's season; they were slated to host the Charlotte Bobcats at 7 PM. But due to the ongoing NBA lockout, the entire November schedule has been scrapped, and nobody knows for sure if and when the 2011/12 NBA season will tip off.
But that doesn't mean we can't imagine how the season might have gone. Using the Strat-O-Matic system, Bradford Doolittle of Basketball Prospectus has simulated the games the lockout wiped away. And in this simulation, Orlando's opening night ended in a 90-86 defeat. Corey Maggette scored 27, including the clinching free throws, in his Bobcats debut. Foul trouble limited Magic center Dwight Howard to 12 points and five boards in 20 minutes. With Howard sidelined, Orlando relied on Jason Richardson (20 points), Brandon Bass (16), and J.J. Redick (15) for offense. In his first game since rehabilitating his surgically repaired left knee over the summer, Gilbert Arenas came off the Magic's bench and contributed five points (1-of-6 shooting) and two assists.
At SB Nation sister site Rufus on Fire, Ben Swanson posts his whimsical game recap. Orlando prevailed, 99-79, in quintuple overtime. I'll let you click on over to learn just how.