Although the Memphis Grizzlies have been the walking wounded lately, it appears that two core pieces of their top seven are on the mend. One just returned to the hardwood already for his first game in over two months, while the other could be back quite soon! Shooting guard Desmond Bane had been out for a while with a Grade 3 ankle sprain. Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal revealed last week that he was nearing a comeback — which he subsequently achieved over the weekend.
“He’s working really hard, so I envision in a couple games here, he’s back in the lineup,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said. Bane got hurt in a January 12th bout with the LA Clippers, and just played in his first game back, against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. Across 38 contests, the 6’5″ shooting guard has looked like a borderline All-Star for the Grizz. When healthy, Bane has been averaging 24.4 points on .473/.386/.856 shooting splits, 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds a night.
Cole adds that reserve Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke is also hoping to return to the floor in a totally lost year for Memphis. Clarke has not played a game all season as he continues to recover from a torn left Achilles incurred in March 2023. The injury knocked him out for the team’s eventual 51-31 run in 2022-23.
Clarke reportedly embarked on five-on-five team workouts this past weekend. He is aiming to play in games for the Grizzlies before the year is out. At 23-45 and stuck in the West’s 13th seed, Memphis has all but been eliminated for postseason contention. Still, it’ll be nice to see him back, just as it was to watch Bane return.
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“Really encouraged by all the signs he’s been showing,” Jenkins said. “He’s on schedule. We’re hopeful sometime maybe at the end of the month he’s in a Grizzlies uniform.”
Memphis greatly missed both Clarke and starting center Steven Adams (who also has yet to play a game this season, although he’s since been traded) in its first round matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers last spring. LA won in an upset. Bane was available and did compete hard.
When healthy, the 6’8″ Clarke has been a formidable foe for opposing frontcourts. But an Achilles injury can be devastating for any NBA player, let alone one whose game is so predicted on his athleticism. For his career, the 27-year-old holds averages of 10.7 points on 60.4% shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals a night. The fifth-year big had emerged as a fan favorite thanks to his defensive moxie and overall hustle. Here’s hoping he’s back again posthaste.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.