It may be hard to believe, but Christmas is once again in the rearview mirror when it comes to 2023. For one, I certainly hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season with their family. And for Grizz Nation specifically, the best days of the 2023-2024 season are likely ahead as we are a full week into the return of Ja Morant. While there are always many wonderful things to enjoy about the holiday season, the return of Morant is certainly a nice one to add in 2023.
However, while the return and impact of Morant has obviously been noteworthy and welcome, the play of Desmond Bane in December is another development that should honestly make many Grizzlies fans ecstatic. To be clear, the play of Bane has been near or at an All-Star Level all season long:
But as Thanksgiving came and went and the countdown to Christmas began, the quality in Bane’s game has taken a noticeable leap:
Bane in October and November: 23.2 ppg, 3.2 3spg, 4.5 rpg, 5.2 apg, 2.7 tovpg, 44.3% from the field, 35.3% from three, 87.2% from the line, 52.5% eFG%, 56.1 TS%
Bane in December: 28.4 ppg, 3.9 3spg, 4.5 rpg, 5.2 apg, 3.5 tovpg, 50.5% from field, 42.9% from 3, 84.6% from the line, 59.8 eFG%, 62.5% TS%
Simply put, Bane has elevated his game from being “worthy of All-Star consideration” in October and November to “All-NBA” level production in December. This is not to suggest Bane is going to make an All-NBA run this year, as there are MANY players having outstanding offseason seasons. But what Bane has done through his December production is continue to solidify a valid claim to earn his first All-Star nod this season. This includes many 30+ point games and a 49-point performance, the second highest by any Grizzlies player in franchise history.
Beyond Bane’s play earning him accolades is where his play has currently placed him among his peers. Before the season started, many sources had Bane ranked in the 40’s and 50’s when it came to the Top 100 players in the league. But now, it is safe to assume Bane has truly emerged as being of a higher standard. And he has become a player who not only makes a major impact for the Grizzlies, but it is also how and when he is making that impact that is truly significant
Bane is one of the Best Shot-Creators and Shot Makers in the NBA
As can be seen from the numbers above, Desmond Bane has taken a noticeable leap in the quality of his scoring in December. A simple way to explain the leap is that Bane has finally combined the elite shot quality from his past to the increase in shot quantity he has taken on this year. And the numbers on different types of shots Bane is taking reflects the improvement across the board:
The first row of numbers is Bane’s production on drives and jumpers from October and November. The second are the same numbers in December. Bane has significantly improved his accuracy across the board at each level of scoring this month. Over the past two seasons, Bane has evolved from a quality shooter into a quality three-level scorer. This year, Bane is emerging as one of the best three-level scorers and shot-makers in the league.
Perhaps the biggest source of Bane’s scoring leap in December is how well he is doing when it comes to creating his own shot. For Bane to truly take a leap this season without the elite playmaking of Ja Morant next to him, it was basically requited that he improve the quantity and quality of his self-creation when it came to shooting. While it naturally took a bit of time for the shot value to catch up with the shot volume, Bane’s shot value has definitely improved since Thanksgiving.
Part of the improvement has come from Bane getting more comfortable at converting clear opportunities where he has a good look from three, such as exploiting a mismatch against a big in the first clip or making a transition three in the second clip. Bane’s recognition of these high-percentage looks when the ball is in his hand has become more frequent as the season has progressed. The end result has been the elite numbers this month.
But beyond the lens of Bane himself to show how good of a shot-creator and shot-maker he has become, there is no better way than displaying where Bane currently finds himself among the best sources of scoring in the NBA:
Per stathead.com, these are the only players in the NBA with 450 or more shots attempted this season with more than 50% of their shots being self-created while also producing an eFG% greater than 55%. In other words, these are the players that are producing the most shot quality among the NBA players with the highest shot volume in the league this season. Beyond shot quality, the other common thread between these players is that six of the nine listed are currently viewed to be among the top 15 MVP candidates in the league this season. You could easily make a case that Curry and Brunson are among the top 20.
While no one expects Bane to emerge in MVP talk, the image above is valid proof of the level at which Bane has been performing as a scorer this season. He is currently among the best shot makers and most effective shot-creators in the league. And with Ja Morant back and Bane showing no signs of regression in his production, it should only become easier for Bane to maintain this level of performance. That should continue to strengthen Bane’s All-Star candidacy and help the Grizzlies to win at a pace that could allow for them to reenter the playoff picture in time.
Bane is at his best when it matters the most
Another aspect of Bane’s improved play in December is that is helping the Grizzlies win at a higher frequency. The Grizzlies have more wins in December than they had combined in October and November. And while the return of Morant is one major factor in this development, Desmond Bane doing some of his most productive scoring in the 4th quarter of games is also a big source of success.
Bane is currently in the top 10 of the NBA in points scored and threes made in the 4th quarter this season. However, what truly stands out is how productive Bane has become in December while taking on a major level of responsibility at the end of games:
These are the only six NBA players in the month of December with a usage rate above 30% and a TS% above 60% in the fourth quarter of games. In other words, these are the players who are providing the best shot quality as they are being asked to do the most when it matters most in games. And just like the shot-creation data above, Desmond Bane once again finds himself among multiple current MVP candidates and past All-NBA level talents.
Bane performing to this level in the fourth quarter is a significant development for Memphis for multiple reasons. The Grizzlies currently have the fourth best net rating in the fourth quarter of games in the league this season. This is a big improvement from last year, when the Grizzlies arguably were the worst fourth quarter team in the NBA through the All-Star Break. Furthermore, the productive fourth quarters for Memphis are helping them overcome being the current worst second quarter team in the NBA. While this has led to many comeback efforts falling just short of succeeding through the first two months of the season, the return of Morant is now helping those comebacks to lead to wins.
With the Grizzlies struggles so far this season, Bane has not had many opportunities to shine in the clutch. But with Morant back, both he and Bane along with Jaren Jackson Jr. have played a major role in the Grizzlies second half production in games. In the three games Morant has played, the Grizzlies are averaging 70 points in the second half of games and 70% of the points scored are coming directly from this trio. The end result is Memphis being a +48 in the second half over the past three games. And once again, while the return of Morant is a huge factor, Bane performing as one of the best current closers in the league is also a major source of the success.
Simply put, the current level of performance from Desmond Bane legitimately places him among the most quality scorers and shot makers in the NBA. And with another similar offensive talent now back next to him in Ja Morant, the Grizzlies easily feature one of the best offensive duos in the league. While Bane may not maintain a 29 PPG pace, he does have a chance to produce the single highest points total by a Grizzlies player in the month of December in franchise history.
But of even more importance is the fact that the Grizzlies are starting to figure out how they will elevate their offense to a needed level of sustainability. Now more than ever, consistent offense, especially in the half-court fashion, is highly important to win games in both the regular season and playoffs. The Grizzlies have arguably been the worst offense in the league for the first two months of the season. But with Morant back to go with the offensive leaps of Bane and Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies have multiple options that can keep them scoring throughout the game.
And while no one may consider the Grizzlies an elite offense as a whole at the moment, there is clear proof this team now has two elite scorers Ja Morant and Desmond Bane (with Jaren Jackson Jr. not too far behind.)