Grizzlies' Desmond Bane expected to miss two to three weeks

Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain of his right big toe, the team announced Tuesday in a press release (Twitter link). According to the Grizzlies, Bane will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks.

Bane, who sustained the injury in Friday’s win over Minnesota, was off to a tremendous start in his first 12 games of the season. After increasing his scoring average from 9.2 points per game as a rookie to 18.2 PPG last season, the 24-year-old has taken another step forward in his third year, boosting his scoring average to 24.7 PPG.

Bane is also averaging career highs in RPG (4.9), APG (4.8) and 3PT% (.451), among other categories. His career three-point rate is now up to 43.6%.

The Grizzlies have a +9.2 net rating when Bane is on the court this season compared to a -9.7 mark when he sits, which is the biggest disparity of anyone on the roster. In other words, replacing him while he recovers won’t be easy.

Still, Memphis is on the verge of getting some lineup reinforcements, as Jaren Jackson Jr. has a chance to make his regular-season debut on Tuesday following offseason foot surgery. Jackson is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game, while Ja Morant – who missed Sunday’s game due to an ankle injury – is not on the team’s injury report and should be available.

With Bane sidelined, John Konchar and Dillon Brooks are among the top candidates for a bump in minutes on the wing.