In the absence of Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies have relied on Desmond Bane to carry the team. The shooting guard has had a terrific season so far, averaging 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. However, he has missed the Grizzlies’ last three games after suffering a Grade 3 ankle sprain during Memphis’ 12th January game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Desmond Bane ankle injury: pic.twitter.com/S3Jgdtmol5
— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) January 13, 2024
While attacking the rim, Bane accidentally stepped on Kawhi Leonard‘s foot and twisted his ankle. The Grizzlies have gone 1-2 in his absence so far. The team announced on Sunday that Bane will be ‘OUT’ from the lineup for six weeks, which means that he won’t be available for their game against the Chicago Bulls later today.
i expected bane to be out for longer, so im taking this as a positive update https://t.co/yv40TLRBmm
— jaren jackson jr mvp (@jjj4dpoy) January 15, 2024
Bane’s absence is a massive blow to the Grizzlies. However, the injury could’ve been a lot more severe, which could have made the season even worse for the Memphis side. So Grizzlies fans will have to look at the bright side. Bane was having an All-Star-level season before the injury sidelined him.
Desmond Bane follows Ja Morant on the Grizzlies’ injury list
The Memphis Grizzlies have had terrible luck with injuries this season. They lost Steven Adams before the season commenced after he opted to undergo surgery to fix his PCL injury. Ja Morant started the year out of the lineup owing to his 25-game suspension for flashing a gun on an Instagram livestream.
When Morant returned to the team, they were 6-19 and had almost no chance of earning a playoff spot. However, things turned around with him in the lineup. The Grizzlies won six of the nine games he played and were 6-4 in the ten games after he returned to the team. However, Morant suffered a shoulder injury in their win over the Los Angeles Lakers, which was later diagnosed as a torn labrum, a season-ending injury.
The Grizzlies continued to ride the momentum they had gathered after Morant’s return and ripped off two wins on the trot. However, things worsened when the team announced that guard Marcus Smart was sidelined for six weeks with a ring finger injury.
Marcus Smart drills a casual three with a dislocated finger. pic.twitter.com/IqHp5iVVQv
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 10, 2024
In the following game against the Clippers, Desmond Bane suffered an ankle injury that will sideline him for at least six weeks. Adams, Morant, Smart, and Bane are the Grizzlies’ four most important players. To lose them all can only be attributed to bad luck. They are 15-26 and have likely already written this season off. They will look to give important minutes to younger players to build their confidence.
