At least we should see some great matchups.
Allen v. Adams
Mobley v. Jackson
Okoro/Stevens v. Bane (when Memphis has the ball)
Garland v. Morant
Bane v. Okoro is interesting because both are the same size and were drafted in the same year; Okoro at #5 and Bane at #30. Okoro is averaging 5.5 points this year against 21.7 for Bane. Bane is 2.5 years older, however, having played four years in college.
Okoro is a small forward whereas Bane is a shooting guard. For his career Bane was a 43.3% shooter on 3's at TCU.
Here's part of an assessment written right after he was drafted:
The 6’6″ guard also possesses ideal size and strength for an NBA guard. He has a good vertical and uses his well-built frame to get to the basket and finish at the rim. While his lateral quickness and shorter wingspan limit him defensively, he makes up for it with an exceptional basketball IQ and a high motor. He still finished his senior season with 1.5 steals per game due to his tenacity on the defensive end.
Bane’s shooting and size alone should have garnered consideration from NBA teams well before pick No. 30. Add his outstanding feel for the game and flashes of playmaking ability, and you have a player who probably could have been drafted closer to the lottery than the second round.
Overall, Desmond Bane has many attributes that make him an NBA-ready player. For some reason, most teams decided to pass on his high-level shooting, physicality, and work ethic. The Memphis Grizzlies may have just gotten the steal of the draft.
The 30th pick belonged to the Celtics but they traded it for a couple of 2nd rounders in a 3-team deal.
NBADraftNet had this as his weaknesses:
While Desmond Bane is tall, strong, and a good vertical athlete he’s not really the total package in terms of physicality. Despite being 6’6” tall, he only has a 6’4.25” wingspan, which makes him one of the few players at this level of basketball to have a wingspan shorter than their height. This limits his defensive potential a bit in the NBA. Again, Bane can get off the ground, but lateral quickness isn’t something that is a strong suit for him. He puts forth tons of effort on the court, which will help him, but when trying to get in the lane off the dribble, or trying to guard a quick player, it’s just going to be harder at the NBA level for someone who’s not naturally quick, or particularly fast at changing directions. Does not really project as an NBA player with a lot of positional versatility. Is likely to play the shooting guard on offense, and guard the shooting guard on defense, with maybe a small portion of small forwards. NBA point guards could likely be too quick for him, and a large portion of small forwards could prove to be too long. I don’t view him as a high upside player, but a guy who can definitely play a role in the NBA for a long time.
