Taylor Jenkins drops honest take on Desmond Bane's return to Grizzlies lineup

After two months of inactivity, budding star Desmond Bane made his long-awaited return to the lineup for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Though the ultimate outcome wasn't necessarily an indicator of any true positive impact that he will have on the team moving forward, as they lost to the OKC Thunder 118-112, it was the play and overall flow of this collective that sparks excitement.

From Memphis' 40.9 percent shooting clip from deep on the night to the fact that all five of their starters registered four or more assists, from the eye test it was evident that Bane's presence proved to be a major plus when it comes to Taylor Jenkins' offensive execution.

Following the contest, the headman discussed the 25-year-old's first game back from a grueling Grade 3 ankle sprain, highlighting the influence that he has on elevating his teammates when on the floor.

Taylor Jenkins dishes on Desmond Bane's return to Grizzlies

"He absolutely elevates the group. I thought that he played Desmond Bane basketball out there. I thought he had great pop early in the game and now it's just a matter of trying to get his game legs under him. He's one of the best movers out the ball, one of the best movers with the ball in his hands and you could see those moments where he was trying to get that extra gear going but luckily teammates were playing really well with him out there on the floor. It was just a great first game back... He was playing his game, loved how he moved the ball, got his shot off with quickness, got down hill. He had that pop and that physicality that he was playing with and did some good things defensively -- on-ball defense, things that he'll continue to get better at as he gets his game conditioning back."

Taylor Jenkins

Right from the jump, it seemed that Bane was displaying that said "pop" and shooting quickness that Jenkins was praising him for during his postgame presser, as he kicked the festivities off with a suave three-point flush off tremendous off-ball moving and a swift dime from Luke Kennard.

Through nearly 32 minutes of play, the stud two guard went on to drop an impressive overall stat line of 22 points to go along with 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and a block all while shooting 44.4 percent from distance.

With just under another month and 14 games to play, the hope is that Bane will continue to grow more comfort in his play after such a long injury-induced hiatus and, in turn, remind Grind City nation just how special a player of his caliber truly is.

From the looks of their play on Saturday, it's already more than clear how much better the Grizzlies are with him out on the court, as they lost by just six points to the same team that, not a week prior, downed them by a whopping 31 points.