No one likes the Grizzlies

In the 1999 NBA Draft, Steve Francis was selected second overall by the sad-sack Vancouver Grizzlies. Not wanting to play for such a horrible franchise, Francis cried, pouted, and said it wasn't it God's will to play in Vancouver. The Grizzlies finally got fed up with his antics and essentially gave him away to Houston for little in return.

10 years later, and nothing's changed. Draft prospects still don't want to play for the Grizzlies, only now they're being slightly more mature about it.

Spain's Ricky Rubio, perhaps the most highly touted guard in the draft, has made it abundantly clear through his agent that he has no desire to play in Memphis, and he's got leverage to ensure it: Maybe he'll just forget about negotiating that buyout with DKV Joventut and stay overseas, thereby wasting a draft pick.

Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet, who has seen his name fly up the draft boards thanks to what some are calling "Mutumbo-esque" potential, did not work out for the Grizzlies last week, citing a mysterious sore shoulder. The Grizzlies, desperate at this point, flew four team officials to Los Angeles just to meet with the center.

It says something about your franchise when it becomes known for players not wanting to play there.

No franhise should be in this position of begging players to come there. If any other NBA team had this problem, they would pick the player anyway, say "deal with it" and move forward instead of buckling under the pressure of rookies and agents. Do you think the Celtics would have ever had to deal with this?

But the Grizzlies brass is soft, because of the awful precedent set with Francis in the '99 draft. That move, coupled with the normal financial challenges of a small-market team, made it easy for players to leave town, or not come there altogether.

In business moves akin to the Pittsburgh Pirates, many star players for the Grizzlies were traded because there was no hope of keeping them in free agency, either because of money or because of a lack of will to tell someone "you're our guy, stay here and we can build something."

In another life, the Grizzlies may have been a successful franchise. Memphis has a great arena in the FedEx Forum. They've got pieces in Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo. They're located in a cultural landmark of a city.

But they've got no money, no will, and no backbone.

And no chance.