What we’ve learned after Memphis Grizzlies’ first 10 games of 2022-23
By Reed Chapman
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Washington Wizards Nov. 7, officially completing their first 10 games of the 2022-23 NBA season.
This 103-97 victory brought the Grizzlies’ record to 7-3, which is the team’s best start to a season since 2014, in which they finished with a 55-27 record after starting that season 9-1.
Considering that the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ziaire Williams have missed the whole season, Dillon Brooks missed the first two games, and the star-studded backcourt of Bane and Morant have missed a game each, this 7-3 start seems to be a little bit more impressive.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from the Grizzlies’ electric start that has them third in the Western Conference standings after the first 10 games of the season.
1. Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane is a NBA All-Star
One of the biggest stories of the Grizzlies season thus far is Desmond Bane’s outstanding start to the season.
Fresh off of a second year in which Bane jumped on to the scene as a potential Most Improved Player award winner, Bane has taken another jump in his play. He is averaging 24.6 points on 45.9% shooting from the field (17.7 attempts) and 46.8% from three (8.8 attempts), 5.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 0.7 steals.
On top of these incredible stats, Bane has shown that he can be just as dependable as Ja Morant when games matter the most as he leads the NBA in 4th quarter scoring with 10 points scored per game in the fourth quarter. That’s more than Kyrie Irving (9.6 points), Giannis Antetokounmpo (8.6 points), or even Stephen Curry (6.9 points).
This incredible start to the year immediately puts Bane in talks of his first ever All-Star game appearance, as well as boosts Memphis into having possibly the best backcourt in the whole NBA.