The Memphis Grizzlies will likely miss the NBA playoffs since they have the third-worst record in the Western Conference at 23-46, but that won’t stop Desmond Bane from trying to make up for lost time as the 2023 season is starting to wind down.
Desmond Bane recently returned to the hard court after missing 29 consecutive games due to an ankle injury. And now that he’s back, he believes he can contribute to the team amidst the lost season by becoming a key veteran to help develop their youngsters alongside Jaren Jackson Jr.
“My teammates all believe in me, so they told me to come back and try to be myself,” said Bane via the Memphis Grizzlies official media website. “And that’s to play hard, make winning plays, and let the rest take care of itself.”
“Just keep getting better, find something we can build off of going into the offseason. It hasn’t been the season many of us anticipated. But there have 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,” he added.
Desmond Bane’s first two games back with the Memphis Grizzlies
Although the Memphis Grizzlies lost their last two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Sacramento Kings, Desmond Bane held his own and didn’t seem to play under a minutes restriction.
Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bane had 22 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and one block while shooting 41.2 percent from the field across 32 minutes. The seven assists were indicative that he took on some playmaking responsibilities since Memphis was without multiple point guards.
Credit: Getty Images
On Monday against the Kings, Bane posted 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals while shooting only 36.8 percent from the field in 37 minutes.
Credit: Getty Images
The Memphis Grizzlies will play two more road games this week against the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. But despite being 100 percent healthy, since the Memphis Grizzlies’ 2023 campaign has gone down the drain, the possibility of shutting Desmond Bane down still lingers.
