SUMMARY
- Memphis Grizzlies' guard/forward Desmond Bane sustained a left ankle injury during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 12, 2024.
- Bane's injury comes at a challenging time for the Memphis Grizzlies, as star player Ja Morant is already sidelined for 25 games.
The Memphis Grizzlies are riding on a two-game losing streak, as the team lost against the New York Knicks on January 13, 2024. Before losing 94-106 to the Knicks, the roster went face-to-face against the Los Angeles Clippers at the FedExForum. Apart from the 119-128 loss, tragic news hit the team as their lead player might have to miss several games now.
While playing against the Clippers on January 12, 2024, Desmond Bane hurt his ankle. Bane sustained this injury to his left ankle in the third quarter of the home game against the Clippers. While Bane was driving to the basket with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, he accidentally stepped on Kawhi Leonard and hence got an injury scare.
Grizzlies say Desmond Bane has a Grade 3 left ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in six weeks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 15, 2024
Although the player got up and tried to walk it off, the pain forced him to leave the floor while limping. This news seems to take the team by surprise, as their star guard, Ja Morant, is already out for 25 games. Bane was the cover-up for the team in times of distress. Per Shams Charania, the star guard/forward will get evaluated after six weeks.
With Morant, Derrick Rose, and Marcus Smart already out, the Grizzlies backcourt coverage will become highly depleted. Bane was averaging 24.4 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in his 37-game appearances this season. While the team is already running low on star players, Vince Williams, Ziaire Williams, and John Konchar will fill up the space on the floor. Although the star guard will be out for at least 6 weeks, there are not many games in which he has had to sit out this season.
How many games has Desmond Bane missed this season?
The Grizzlies are standing at No. 13 in the Western Conference, with 14 wins and 25 losses. Although the team had better chances of improving the rankings with the return of Ja Morant, multiple injury reports have left the team in a spiral. The team is currently sub.400 and just one spot above the Trail Blazers.
Tending to the game where Desmond Bane didn’t play, there were just two games this season. While the team has played 39 games in the 2023–24 season, Bane has recorded minutes in 37 of those. What’s astonishing is that the team lost both games while dealing with Bane’s absence. Desmond sat out the game against the Houston Rockets on December 13, 2023.
Apart from this, the recent game against the New York Knicks accounts for the second one. As the player sustained a Grade 3 ankle sprain, he will require his own time to fully recover from the injury.