THE SPORT COUNT

Former All-Star Houston Rocket Steve Francis has been traded to the Grizzlies pending physicals, reports Memphis’ Commercial Appeal. The return of The Franchise to the franchise that drafted him might be merely a salary dump for Houston, but the Grizz stand to benefit from it. Says Memphis’ coach Marc Iavoroni:

”He’s a guy who can score the ball when he’s right. He has the ability to make others better with penetration. He’s a tough cover. I think a lot depends on just where he is conditioning-wise and mentally and physically.”

That’s essentially the crux of the matter: can Francis stay on the court long enough to have an impact for the Grizz? At 31, Francis is by no means too old to keep up with the rest of the young team. If his condition is good, Francis should lend a stable veteran eye to the raw guards in Mayo and Conley, and will probably find working with the hyper-athletic Rudy Gay easy.

In the worst case scenario that Francis has gone the way of most ex-All-Stars, and is an injury-riddled, overweight liability with an entitlement complex, at the very least the Grizz have paid US$2.7M to fill the ‘Eric Snow’ role*. Either way, we’re in for a season of further development from the exciting young Grizzlies, and that’s now going to be punctuated by a suited-up Franchise, whether in facilitating plays, or swapping courtside in-jokes with Marc Gasol.

*Sit on the bench, tell jokes to the younger players, sometimes say something serious about how to better your free throw action.

Posted by: Alex