Grizzlies guard tabbed as having one of ‘highest ceilings’ from draft class

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team highlighted by and receives heavy media coverage on Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., but perhaps lost in their All-Star and accolade-receiving shadows is the play of Desmond Bane.

Selected with the 30 overall pick back in the 2020 NBA Draft, the guard has quickly and quietly established himself as a true difference-maker within head coach Taylor Jenkins’ rotation.

Though perhaps perceived as somewhat of an afterthought upon coming into the association, his production to this point has shown that 29 other ball clubs simply missed out on nabbing themselves a high-upside baller like Bane and, in a recent piece by Blecher Report, writer Andy Bailey labeled him as having the fifth-highest ceiling among those from his respective draft class.

Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane has one of ‘highest ceilings’ from 2020 draft class

"“In just three seasons, Desmond Bane has already established himself as one of the game’s best three-point shooters. And that doesn’t just apply to his position among current players.For his career, he has taken 5.9 threes per game and hit 42.5 percent of those attempts. Stephen Curry is the only player in league history who matches or exceeds both marks,” Bailey wrote.He continued by noting his defensive accumine as well, writing: “The TCU product has had an above-average defensive estimated plus-minus (one of the most trusted catch-all metrics among NBA front offices) in each of the last two seasons.”"

Bailey would go on to talk up Bane’s lofty production during the 2022-23 campaign, referring to it as a time that the 25-year-old “emerged as a bona fide, playmaking combo guard.”

How right the seasoned writer is.

Despite suffering from a season-long toe injury (something that required surgery this summer), Bane still managed to put forth the best statistical year of his professional career, as he posted stellar averages of 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from deep.

Excitingly enough, all of this came directly after he and the Grizzlies agreed to a lucrative contract extension, as the guard inked a five-year, $207 million max deal to remain in Grind City for the long haul.

Now, heading into year four of his professional tenure, there are some who suggest that he could finally find himself earning the coveted moniker of “All-Star,” while rumors are indicating that he’s already being tabbed as a viable option to represent the United States alongside superstars such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Considering his per-game and efficiency numbers through such a rather short period of time in the league, it makes perfect sense why Bane is viewed as one of the higher-upside talents selected from his class.

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