Memphis Grizzlies: Was Desmond Bane prematurely added to the starting lineup?

The Memphis Grizzlies shouldn’t take him out of the lineup, but if they do…

A couple of rough games isn’t cause for much concern. In general, his minutes have stayed the same and he has shown that he can excel with the first team.

But if his struggles continue, he may be pulled from the starting lineup, at least temporarily. Again, this isn’t something that anybody wants to see quite yet, but it’s a possibility. So what happens if he is pulled?

Well, for starters (pun intended), it won’t make a huge difference to the Grizzlies game plan, which is part of the reason why this is unlikely to happen. Despite playing with a slightly different rotation, his minutes have generally stayed between the 18-22 minute mark.

If he was sent to the bench, it would be a difference between the Grizzlies playing a bigger starting lineup with Brandon Clarke and playing small ball with Bane and the second team. Ideally, you could flip-flop between these lineups, but it’s best to stick with some consistency.

Overall, Bane will likely stay in the starting lineup for now, but hopefully we’ll see a bounce back in the next few games from the rookie.