Rewind a couple of years for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Desmond Bane.
It’s typical college scenery at Texas Christian University. Students walking in and out of classrooms, a populated area of many outside near the grass areas on a nice sunny day, and then, the sound of coach Jamie Dixon in the gym screaming “run!” as he stands in the middle of the court watching his team perform the drill the average amateur player hates… suicide runs.
Dripped in sweat with his hands over his head, near the baseline, Desmond Bane is trying to catch his breath before doing his last round of suicides. With other TCU players starting on the baseline, Bane sprints through the workout and finishes before everyone else, trotting off the court and into the locker room.
A 2020 first-round pick by the Boston Celtics at No. 30 overall, only to be traded by the team to the Memphis Grizzlies before the pick was even made, Bane was more of a “head-scratcher” to many when Memphis Grizzly fans heard his name.
The Memphis Grizzlies were quickly proven to have made the right choice
A three-point gift granted to the Grizzlies when they traded for him on draft night, Bane can hit from the outside as well as create for himself for that sweet mid-range jumper of his.
When he’s not shooting, he looks like a running back driving to the cup for an and-1 lay-up. The guard’s game is so unique and fun to watch, as he almost looks like a Tasmanian Devil running all over the court on transition plays.
However, Bane’s on-court presence isn’t the only unique thing of his for the third-leading scorer in TCU Basketball history. Just a few years ago, Bane was an unranked high-school player for Seton Catholic Hill in Richmond, Indiana. TCU was his only offer from a Power Five program, as he knew he needed to make a household name for himself.
Bane averaged only 7.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in his freshman year at TCU, but what drew the attention of NBA scouts was his sharp shooting from beyond the arc and his stout defensive prowess.
Scouts really didn’t care about his mainline stats, as they saw other factors in his game they felt would transition well at the next level. That said, he would see a steady improvement in his points scored, assists, and rebounding numbers by the time he graduated.
At TCU, Bane averaged 44% from three and lead the Big 12 conference in three-point percentage. Scouts really took note of that, and from there — the story of Desmond Bane was brought to fruition.
Bane is now averaging 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists for the Memphis Grizzlies. He serves as a great rotational player for the team and has averaged 20 minutes in the last 10 games. Bane was on fire against the Rockets when he shot 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from the three-point range. It was a much-needed night as Bane was in the shadows in the last 3 games before that stat line.
Nevertheless, Bane has earned his spot and proves to this Grizzlies team that he is the two-way player this team must keep by their side for the time being. This is all only a start to a promising career for Bane, as we as fans will see more improvement from the rookie.
In the meantime, let’s sit back and watch for what is yet to come.