4 Memphis Grizzlies who must step up in Ja Morant’s absence

Grizzlies player #3: Desmond Bane

Bane was the Grizzlies’ second-leading scorer last season, averaging 21.5 points per game. Now, it will be up to him to take another step forward and lead the team in that category. We watched him do it before. When Morant was injured in last year’s playoffs, Bane rose to the challenge and showed significant growth as both a playmaker and a scorer.

Over his three seasons in the league, Bane went from averaging 9.2 points and 1.7 assists in his rookie year to putting up 21.5 points and 4.4 assists per game in 2022-23. He seems to be constantly growing as a player, but can he take another leap? Can he handle more responsibility?

He will have to. While Morant is out, Bane will have to be the team’s leader on the court. He will have to score as much as possible, handle the ball, and be aggressive. Last season, Morant averaged 8.1 free throw attempts per game. That is an incredibly valuable number and while Bane won’t necessarily have to replace that all by himself, he and Jaren Jackson Jr. will have to put pressure on the defense.

All this is a lot of responsibility for Bane. He is not meant to be the number-one option on a team with high playoff aspirations. At the same time, however, this chance could open the door to his first All-Star selection if he rises to the challenge.