Ja Morant is serving his 25-game suspension, while his “pupil”, Desmond Bane, has taken over the responsibility. The 215-pound frame and broad shoulders, however, witnessed a rocky start this season with a losing streak of six games. After the last loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 3rd, the franchise again had a face-off; however, the results were different this time.

Although the Memphis Grizzlies recorded a 12-point win in their last game on November 5th, the team seems to miss the likes of Ja Morant. But, in the absence of Morant, will the team survive or fly high with a future All-Star prospect?

Desmond Bane is covering up for Ja Morant

Ja Morant has faced two suspensions, first in March, because of which he missed the playoffs last season, and then in June. Repercussions were deemed a heavy price for the point guard as, after his second detrimental conduct on Instagram Live, Ja Morant was snubbed with a 25-game suspension. This major suspension came with a fine and a major loss for the Memphis Grizzlies. Since Ja Morant went missing in action from the hardwood, the Grizzlies had to resort to turning to a new player to lead them.

Initially, going with Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose, the players didn’t offer much to the team. This is where Desmond Bane came into the picture, and his recent win just reassures the limelight awarded to the player. In a recent media interaction, reporter Josh Fisher was seen placing Bane in the shoes of a future All-Star player. He said, “Yeah, I think Desmond has just continued to expand his game. The more you watch him, the more you watch a future All-Star in the NBA. He continues to score at every level. We talked about him being a shooter, while he just continues to get to the front of the rim, knock down mid-range jump shots, play pick-and-roll situations, and be a facilitator.”

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The media person continues, “And because of the threat, he has enabled other guys to be good… They need individual performances because of the lack of depth that this team has.” The fact that Bane averaged 25 points and 5 rebounds per game last year has a lot to do with this claim. While Desmond is contributing yet again as the main player in the absence of Ja Morant, he is exploring his potential by getting to the free-throw line more often. After handling the previous play-offs single-handedly, “The Downhill Des” might be the best NBA All-Star contender this year.

Another angle to the story is the lack of confidence in Marcus Smart to take the shots. Earlier, Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant used to average at least 14–15 points per game, leaving little scope for the guard to score. However, after Brooks was traded to the Rockets and Morant was surrounded by misconduct whispers, the main role was awarded to Marcus Smart. Smart, however, turned out to be very calculative with his shooting, hence giving him the spotlight to be the Grizzlies’ champion.

And the recent win against the Portland Trail Blazers points in the same direction.

Desmond Bane and Co. vs. Portland Trail Blazers

After a rough start in the first quarter, however, the franchise stood back up in the second one. The duo of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane showered the arena with stellar shots, amassing a whopping 57 points. While Bane contributed a major tally of 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, the franchise shouldn’t get too ecstatic about their first win. The Grizzly with the beach ball biceps isn’t just a shooter, but the ball handling skills run parallel to Morant. However, he is not a catch-and-shoot specialist.

Can Grizzlies Finally Survive Without Ja Morant? 3 Takeaways as Memphis Notch Up 1st Win in 2X All-Star’s Suspension Term vs Blazers

The ability to hit triples off the dribble is a skill that differentiates stars from role players, and that skill is somehow ingrained in Bane. Despite his famously short arms, Bane has become an above-average defender; however, the question still remains: “Is Bane the next All-Star?”

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The win against Portland can easily be claimed as mere luck since the Grizzlies failed to perform against the Miami Heat tonight. With Bane climbing up to just a 15-point score, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, the players seem far from achieving the benchmark. Do you think Bane’s broad shoulders can keep the team afloat until Ja Morant embraces the hardwood once again? Let us know in the comments below.