SAN FRANCISCO – When Desmond Bane recently returned from a two-month injury absence, the idea of guiding the Grizzlies’ prolific guard along a plan to gradually ease him back into the mix seemed plausible.
There was only one issue with that notion.
“My teammates all believe in me, so they told me to come back and try to be myself,” Bane shared. “And that’s to play hard, make winning plays and let the rest take care of itself.”
Through his first two games back, Bane’s play-hard mentality has sparked confidence and reenergized his teammates as if he never left the rotation.
The fourth-year combo guard has also resumed primary playmaking responsibilities that have steered the Grizzlies into position to compete for wins late in the last two contests.
And letting the rest take care of itself – both literally and figuratively – will continue to be a work in progress. And that’s because Bane’s relentless approach on the court has been nearly impossible to harness with any thought of a minutes’ restriction to limit his impact.
Bane has averaged 23 points, 5.5 assists, four rebounds and 1.5 steals in 34.5 minutes through two close losses since he missed 29 games with a left foot sprain.
In Saturday’s 116-112 home loss to Oklahoma City, Bane powered Memphis with 22 points and seven assists as the lone starter to finish with a positive (+11) impact in plus-minus ratio. That essentially means the Grizzlies outscored the Western-Conference leading Thunder over the course of the 32 minutes Bane was on the court.
In Monday’s overtime loss at Sacramento, where the Grizzlies only had eight players available, Bane contributed 24 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals in 37 minutes. With that game tied at 105-105, Bane drew three defenders on a drive and passed to rookie GG Jackson for a shot to win in regulation. Jackson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer missed, and the shorthanded Grizzlies ran out of steam in overtime on the way to the 121-111 loss.
Yet, the defeat was hardly a setback in the bigger picture for the Grizzlies (23-46).
Because these are the kind of moments for which Bane was eager to return as the Grizzlies try to gain valuable experience and continuity for a major reset next season.
Significant injuries to key players derailed the Grizzlies’ playoff hopes months ago. And even those fleeting aspirations were a longshot after their 6-19 start to the season as catalyst Ja Morant served a 25-game NBA suspension.
What Bane sees now is an opportunity – and welcomed obligation – to join big man Jaren Jackson Jr. in assisting the Grizzlies’ on-court development of promising younger players. The experience gained in Sacramento underscores what these final weeks of the season are about for the Grizzlies, who resume this four-game trip Wednesday at Golden State.
Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. combined for 49 points on 46 shots against the Kings to largely keep the Grizzlies in striking distance. But they shared the court in late key stretches with the rapidly emerging GG Jackson, last year’s second-round pick, and second-year forward Jake LaRavia playing much of the fourth quarter and all of overtime.
Not only did GG Jackson experience the trust of veterans to take the potential game-winning shot, but he also played a career-high 44 minutes Monday. LaRavia, who struggled with injuries and confidence through his first season-and-a-half in the NBA, logged 41 minutes off the bench and scored in double figures for the ninth time in the last 13 games.
In his first game back, Bane’s impact resonated with Memphis dishing a season-high 34 assists. Two nights later, it set the tone to grind through a grueling overtime finish.
“He definitely elevates the group . . . playing Desmond Bane basketball,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Now, it’s a matter of getting his game legs under him. He’s one of the best movers without the ball and with the ball. And you can see those moments where he’s trying to get that extra gear going. He’s been working really hard to be able to play those (high) minutes coming off a really long layoff. He’s had that pop and physicality he’s been playing with, things that will continue to get better as he gets his game condition back.”
Bane agrees with that sentiment. He’s also approaching the final month of games as a chance to get his rhythm and timing back to peak form heading into the offseason – to personally finish on a productive note.
“Anybody that’s played basketball or has been part of sports knows that it takes time getting your cardio and legs back,” Bane said. “That will be key, allowing me to push the ball in transition and still give maximum effort on the defensive end. You go out there and make the right play and it starts to become contagious. Everybody starts making the right play, playing with confidence, getting everybody involved in it.”
Teammates have noticed a difference in Bane’s short time back. There’s a lot more freedom to operate. And it’s providing a boost of fuel to help finish the season.
“Just having him out there is super good for us,” Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama said. “He has a lot of gravity; the defense is very aware of him. Obviously, he’s getting into rhythm, but it’s felt amazing. We have a long road trip, and hopefully we can get things going again.”
It’s been a surreal journey for Bane. He’s returned to a completely different rotation and set of expectations than what existed when he first injured his foot in early January.
This will be the first season since he was drafted in 2020 that Memphis misses the postseason. The injuries and losses have piled up along the way.
On the other hand, Bane has seen growth and gains as he recovered from the injury.
And that’s why he was eager to give it another go and return to action.
His objective from here is simple.
“Just keep getting better, find something we can build off of going into the offseason,” Bane confessed. “It hasn’t been the season many of us anticipated. But there’s been bright spots in GG, Vince (Williams) and some other guys who have stepped up. Jaren has definitely taken a large step. So, there’s definitely things we can build on from this.”