Looking through the numbers, it would feel like Desmond Bane is having a down season as his points per game (18.9) is the lowest since the 2021-22 season and his three-point percentage is the lowest in his career (37.3%). However, that can be attributed to his unusually slow start to the season in which he averaged 14.4 points through his first 19 games played, including missing eight games to an oblique injury.
Since? He has averaged 21.5 points, including career-highs in field goal percentage (48.9%), rebounds (6.2), assists (5.5), and steals (1.2). After a disappointing 2-13 shooting performance against the NBA's best Cleveland Cavaliers on February 23rd, Bane has averaged 26 points in his last six games, including securing his first career triple-double on March 3rd against the Atlanta Hawks.
He also secured a career-high 16 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks on March 7th and a career-high 22 paint points against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 9th. Desmond Bane has returned to form and then some as the third of the big three of he, Ja Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
With Jaren Jackson Jr. sidelined with an ankle sprain and Ja Morant playing through a shoulder injury, Desmond Bane has become the Grizzlies' most reliable star to good results. With his recent success, let's explore some of Bane's best performances throughout his five-year career.
October 8, 2022 vs Brooklyn Nets
After beginning the 2022 - 2023 season slow out the gates, Desmond Bane delivered a career performance in the Grizzlies' fourth game of that season against Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets. He made a single-game career-high of eight threes on 11 attempts and finished with a season-high of 38 points to go along with seven assists in the Grizzlies' 10-point victory.
April 26, 2023 vs Los Angeles Lakers
To help the Grizzlies stave off elimination in game five of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Desmond Bane produced a double-double with 33 points and 10 rebounds on 57% shooting to force a game six. He scored a playoff career-high of 36 points on worse efficiency in the Grizzlies' game before that resulted in a loss to the Lakers in game four.
December 6, 2023 at Detroit Pistons
In a season where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, Desmond Bane provided a career-year scoring-wise, and it involved his career-high scoring performance. He scored 49 points in what remains as his only 40+ point scoring performance of his career on the road against the Detroit Pistons on an efficient 61.3% shooting night.