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Here’s what Orlando Magic fans are missing tonight

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The Orlando Magic have no shortage of storylines to watch in 2011-12 -- if there is a 2011-12 season (Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel)

The Orlando Magic were supposed to open their 2011-12 regular season tonight.

But instead of Dwight Howard and his teammates hosting the Charlotte Bobcats at 7 p.m., Amway Center will be silent.

The league’s ongoing lockout, now in its 125th day, is impacting game-night workers, local businesses and even the city government’s coffers.

Of course, the labor dispute also is hurting the Magic and NBA fans who were looking forward to the season.

The Magic had no shortage of storylines to watch.

Here are just some of them:

(1) Dwight Howard’s future
Many Magic fans feel a sense of trepidation about Howard’s future; after all, the superstar center can become a free agent in the summer of 2012. It appears that Howard feels conflicted between his desire to please fans in Central Florida and the lure of playing in a big market. But the Magic’s performance in 2011-12 likely would influence Howard’s thinking. If the team looks like it can contend for a title, Howard’s chances of staying probably would be higher. Now, the Magic are in a holding pattern. Team officials can’t speak with Howard or his agent until the lockout ends.

Dwight Howard's future is just one of the storylines to watch if there is a season (Douglas Jones, US Presswire)

(2) The 2012 NBA All-Star Game
Part of the fun of a league’s all-star game is the anticipation in the months leading up to the exhibition. Part of the fun also comes from the pride of knowing that your region will be the center of the sport’s universe. Now, however, fans — and the businesses that need a economic boost in these rough times — are questioning whether the exhibition on Feb. 26 will have to be canceled. Such a move would force Orlando to wait until Feb. 2014 to host the game. For what it’s worth, NBA officials say they’re still focused on playing the game in Amway Center this upcoming February. But the league no doubt is looking at prospective dates for 2014 just in case this season’s exhibition has to be wiped off the books.

(3) Howard’s chase for the MVP
Howard made big strides with his offensive game last season, posting a career-high in scoring and showing a more refined set of low-post moves. He finished second in the league’s MVP voting. Will he win that coveted award? Maybe so: Howard not only has worked with Hakeem Olajuwon for a second consecutive offseason, but Howard also has worked with shooting coach Ed Palubinskas to try and improve at the free-throw line.

(4) Development of Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass
Both of the Magic’s young returning power forwards can become free agents after the season. So it’s possible that their improvement would’ve been accelerated. Anderson made some strides last season, with career-highs in points and 3-point percentage. Bass also improved, especially with his rebounding. Anderson is only 23 years old. Bass is 26. They should get better.

(5) Stan Van Gundy’s growth
Van Gundy is a funny guy off the court. But his demanding on-court demeanor can grate on players. Van Gundy made some strides last season in this area after General Manager Otis Smith met with him in mid-November, but it would be interesting to see if Van Gundy can improve in this area.

(6) Gilbert Arenas’ revitalization
The Magic have no shortage of players who are coming off of disappointing seasons. Chris Duhon, Daniel Orton, J.J. Redick, Quentin Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu either didn’t play up to their standards or endured injuries or both. But no one bears watching more than Arenas, who struggled with knee-related problems and couldn’t quite get used to playing limited minutes for Van Gundy. Of course, Arenas might be an amnesty-clause cut when a new collective bargaining agreement is reached; but if he sticks with the team, it will be fascinating to see how he fares.

(7) A rivalry develops?
Sure, it would be a blast to see how the Magic play against the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. But after trouncing the Atlanta Hawks in the 2010 playoffs, the Magic fell to the Hawks in six games last postseason. The defeat stung, and it appeared the teams started to dislike each other. It would be fun for fans to see the teams square-off again. Maybe the Magic have found their primary rival.

(8) Amway Center’s second season
No one doubts that Amway Center’s interior is beautiful and is one of the most state-of-the-art buildings in the NBA. But let’s face facts: With so many places to eat and so many things to see, the lower bowl almost always was only half-full several minutes into the third quarter. Magic fans are developing a reputation as a wine-and-cheese crowd. Will that continue? As nice as an arena might look, its game-night atmosphere — for good or bad — is created by its fans.

(9) Making moves
The Magic no doubt would like to make a run at Chris Paul or Deron Williams in the 2012 free-agent market and pair one of the star point guards with Howard. But to do that, the Magic would need to make a bunch of personnel moves to free-up cap space. Is the team willing to make those moves even if it jeopardizes the 2011-12 season? We won’t begin to know until the lockout ends.

(10) Chase for 4 awards
Howard can become the first player in league history to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award for four consecutive seasons. (The award was first presented after the 1982-83 season.) Howard is the league’s most dominant defender, and he should win the honor again.

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.


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