Underestimated in the Draft due to his rather cubic physique and his rather short arms, Desmond Bane is currently in his second playoff experience. And the boy responds now!
Top scorer for his team in the first round against Minnesota, a sure source of points when Ja Morant (clumsiness) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (fouls) were not at their best, he in turn experienced some difficulties in the semi-final in the Western Conference against Golden State, because of back problems.
But after a sophomore season with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Desmond Bane considers himself among the best in his field: the long shot. It must be said that he was 10th in terms of the number of successful exterior shots this season (228) and 2nd in terms of address (43.6%). Only Luke Kennard (44.9%) was more effective.
And when asked who is stronger than him in the exercise, he only has one name: Stephen Curry.
A footballer’s physique
“Apart from him, you will have to provide me with proof”Desmond Bane recently explained in the columns of Sports Illustrated. “Steph deserves his praise and so does Klay Thompson, even though he’s only just coming back from injury. Other than those two, I want to be considered one of the best shooters in the NBA. It’s what I am looking for. »
Rather focused on football when he was younger, Desmond Bane only started to take basketball seriously from university. At TCU, in a small college in Texas where football is king. It was also there that he realized he had a gift for shooting 3-pointers.
“I was the toughest guy on the pitch every game. [au lycée], so I could go all the way to the circle. I only understood that I was a good shooter from university. »
Starting with 7 points, 2 rebounds for his freshman season with the Horned Frogs (horned frogs), Desmond Bane finished at 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists on average for his senior year. And his 43% percentage behind the arc in four university seasons could attest to that, short arms or not, the boy could shoot!
“As he progressed, we also raised the level of player to which we compared him to make training more difficult”adds Ryan Miller, former assistant at TCU, and incidentally brother of Mike Miller. “When he mastered the shooting gesture in a stable position, we started to work on shooting on the move, then shooting out of the dribble. And then we went to shooting after doing a feint and a shift dribble. And the cuts in the painting or in the output of the screen. We added elements to his game as he learned to master them at a high level. »
Step-by-step learning
Each season, Desmond Bane had an increasingly difficult program. To follow very specific models of specialist shooters on the upper floor.
“Of all his shots, how does he manage to be one of the most effective shooters in the League? », wondered Desmond Bane and Ryan Miller in video sessions.
From Danny Green to Devin Booker to Klay Thompson, he watched hours of shots from his predecessors. He also reproduced these match situations in training, at real speed so to speak. And obviously, Desmond Bane is a player who learns quickly!
“What’s difficult for players in general is that they can see and understand what is being asked of them, but they can’t quickly incorporate it into their game,” continues Ryan Miller. “Desmond has always been able to do that. Whether it’s the speed of a chained feint on the shot, or the tempo you need on the cut. Whether it was fast to slow or slow to fast, he always managed to incorporate that immediately, which is really unique. »
Having been able to work alongside Kyle Korver on the Atlanta side, Taylor Jenkins was able to draw comparisons to the new sniper at his disposal in Tennessee.
« [Kyle Korver] was apart with his incredible routine, his diet, his gestures, his mentality but [Bane] does more than just shoot. That’s what is impressive, his game is not just about his shooting. There is also game creation, defense, IQ. »
A complete player
Having received the trophy for best progress of the year in an honorary way from his teammate Ja Morant who is the official winner, Desmond Bane obviously shares the feeling expressed by his coach.
“I have to be respected in a lot of different ways on the pitch. I’m not just a catcher, or a moving shooter, or anything like that. I can shoot and score in a lot of different ways and do a lot of other things on the field. »
But it must be said that in the exercise of long distance shooting, Desmond Bane has a real arm. Muscular as possible, he never forces his shot. Suddenly, he has a good shooting distance and a golden future in a League, more than ever in love with rainbow shooting.
“He has the potential to be one of the greatest shooters in NBA history honestly”concludes Ryan Miller. “When it’s open, there’s no one who’s stronger than him right now. No one shoots with as much confidence as him. »
| Desmond Bane | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | MEM | 68 | 22 | 46.9 | 43.2 | 81.6 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 9.2 |
| 2021-22 | MEM | 76 | 30 | 46.1 | 43.6 | 90.3 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 18.2 |
| Total | 144 | 26 | 46.4 | 43.5 | 88.2 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 14.0 | |
