The selection of Memphis is somewhat of a surprise because I thought New Orleans or Anaheim would be more attractive for the Grizzlies, but there has to be a reason. I know Memphis has a good arena, The Pyramid, even though it appears the team would only play there temporarily until the city could build a new arena.

I remember coaching a preseason game in Memphis one year, but I'm not sure when or with which team. And I remember the Memphis Tams of the ABA. I believe several NBA teams have had preseason games there. It's an attractive city.

Although I don't know anything about the Memphis ownership, I'm assuming Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley wouldn't relocate the team to Memphis unless he felt the city was a secure place for an NBA team, with an adequate arena and a solid fan base that shows a willingness to support the team.

Because Memphis is an Eastern city, the move could cause the NBA to consider realignment because Vancouver has been in the Midwest Division. It might be unwieldy for Memphis to be in the Midwest. Perhaps another team, like Chicago, could slide over to the Midwest from the Central.

Memphis would become the league's smallest market. Sacramento, Portland and Milwaukee are good examples of small markets with successful franchises. In fact, Sacramento is a good illustration of what a franchise can do when it really has a strong fan base. Hopefully, Memphis will offer the same kind of support.

The league's Board of Governors still has to approve the move, but I'm sure Heisley has sounded out the league and explored enough angles to feel good about his decision. The board may have some reservations about it being a small market.

As for the team, I'm not sure why it hasn't achieved better. Mike Bibby, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Michael Dickerson are quality NBA players, and the Grizzlies have other adequate pieces. They need another outstanding player or two, something they have a chance to address in the next draft. The jury is still out on rookie Stromile Swift. He has some natural talent, but can he adapt to the demands of the NBA game? He hasn't shown he can do that yet.