Desmond Bane is nearing his return after nearly a two-month hiatus. Having sustained a Grade 3 ankle sprain, the star guard’s presence will be a much-needed welcome. With their star player Ja Morant under suspension for brandishing firearms, the team had to come up with creative ideas to stay afloat. The arrival of Marcus Smart was a positive, but they lost him to a finger injury on January 9.

Although Morant had returned, healthy and in high spirits, it was short-lived. A shoulder subluxation during a practice session ended his season early. It was in such circumstances that Memphis also lost Desmond Bane. The latest update on him, though, is highly promising.

“Desmond Bane (ankle) expected to play Saturday.” 

The Grizzlies listed Bane as questionable in their loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Seeing as how that has been updated to ‘expected’, there is no doubt that things are progressing as they should. Desmond’s return is something his teammates are eagerly looking forward to. Luke Kennard, the 27-year-old forward/guard, said, “I can’t wait. It’s going to be a positive day when that happens. We’re looking forward to it. He’s been working really hard to get back, and I know he’s ready for it.”

Memphis currently ranks 13th in the West with a 23-44 record. It’s quite good considering the harsh hand that was dealt to them. With Bane’s presence back on the court, there definitely will be a change in their stats and team outlook as a whole. Why don’t we take a look at his effectiveness for the team?

Desmond Bane stats since his rookie season

Looking at his numbers since his rookie season, we can see that there has been rapid improvement in his performance. In the 68 games he played in 2020-21, Bane had started 17 of them. He has been a regular starter in every game thereafter. This season, the Indiana native is averaging 24.4 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game while draining 47.4% from the field.

Bane’s points and rebounds are both career highs of the season as well as the three-pointers (3.3) per game. Comparing them to his career averages, Desmond is shooting well above average from downtown, with 41.7% while holding a steady 47.0 in field goal percentage. Clearly, his stats show that Bane is a player of All-Star caliber when healthy.

Read More: Desmond Bane Credits Ja Morant’s Sideline Coaching After Leading Grizzlies Past Mavs

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Will Memphis have three All-Stars from the team next year? How likely do you think that scenario is? Do share your thoughts!