Memphis Grizzlies forward Desmond Bane has been predicted to make his first All-Star Team this season by an NBA writer. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report wrote about why he thinks Bane will be an All-Star in 2024.
“And remember, it’s not like Bane’s stat sheet needs much polishing to enter the All-Star conversation,” Buckley wrote. “Last season, he was one of only 14 players to average 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and two three-pointers. Among that elite, exclusive club, he had the second-best three-point percentage (40.8) and fifth-highest free-throw percentage (88.3).”
Bane’s usage rate will be high through the first 25 games of this season since Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant won’t play due to a suspension. Bane, who averaged 21.5 points last season, could put up stellar numbers while Morant is out.
Bane appeared in 58 games last season for the Grizzlies. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 47.9% from the field, 40.8% from beyond the arc and 88.3% from the free-throw line. The Grizzlies won 51 games in the regular season and were the second seed in the Western Conference but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs in six games.
An anonymous member of the Grizzlies told Keith Smith of Spotrac that signing Bane to a rookie-scale extension was a “primary objective” for the franchise this offseason. Bane signed a five-year, $197 million extension with Memphis.
While Morant is out, the Grizzlies are expected to start Derrick Rose, Marcus Smart, Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams. For Memphis to stay afloat without Morant, Bane will have to play very well.
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