Magic Starting 5: Brittney Griner Sentenced; Can Orlando Make The Play-In?
Start your day off with ‘Magic Starting 5,’ where we look at five of the NBA's biggest storylines for today, including what's going on with the Orlando Magic.
1. BRITTNEY GRINER SENTENCED
"WNBA star Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian judge after she was convicted of drug possession and smuggling. Griner, a lauded star for the Phoenix Mercury, has been detained in Russia since February when she was found carrying vaporizer cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country. She had been partaking in international endeavors with UMMC Ekaterinburg, with whom she had been affiliated since 2014."
2. VICTOR WEMBANYAMA HURT
"Wembanyama's skillset is one that the NBA has yet to see ... a 7-4 big man with guard-like tendencies and the potential to continue growing at just 18 years old. However, with every top prospect comes risk. With Wembanyama, it's the injury bug."
3. PLAY-IN BOUND?
"After releasing its offseason grade report last week, The Athletic followed it up with its first power rankings for the upcoming season. This list included any additions or subtractions to rosters, and whether or not teams got better since last season's conclusion."
4. RANDLE FOR RUSS?
"To be fair to the west coast, the Knicks are in somewhat equally dire straits ... this is a team that's still taking a $41 million-plus to Evan Fournier and Julius Randle ... but a deal for Westbrook would bring relative financial bliss to both sides."
5. MAGIC FACT OF THE DAY
The Orlando Magic scored a franchise-record 155 points on Dec. 30, 1990 in a win against the Denver Nuggets.
