In Memphis, Desmond Bane had already displayed his hot temperament, not hesitating to challenge his opponents and sometimes flirting with the physical limits on the field.
In Orlando, we looked forward to this competitive spirit, believing that it fit perfectly with the team’s identity. “It’s a dog” even assured Paolo Banchero. “He’s not afraid of anything and he doesn’t back down from anyone. » The problem is that hardness should not be confused with physical “dirt” either.
Expected to be the missing piece for the Magic, thanks in particular to his shooting skills, the former TCU player seems more and more on edge, while Orlando is only 8th (25-23) in the East.
In the last three matches alone, he has in fact heated up with Simone Fontecchio against the Heat, before swinging Immanuel Quickley on the ground against the Raptors then to follow up with a blow to the face and a shoulder blow to Victor Wembanyama against the Spurs. Enough to earn him a flagrant foul, his third of the campaign.
He’s starting to make a lot of bad moves this season, even though he was already kicked out for sending Mr. Okongwu on the ground then threw the ball at him in November, before doing it again against OG Anunoby a few days later. At the time, he assumed not to “leave no easy basket to opponents”.
Except that once again, there is a nuance between a strong fault, which accentuates the contact to send a message in the action, and these gestures which seem gratuitous, and rather the mark of frustration.
“I know they play like that because they don’t want to play basketball, precisely. They don’t want to play a real basketball game.” explained Victor Wembanyama. “But our job on offense is to make it a basketball game, and that’s how we beat them. Afterwards, it’s the game. It’s like that every night. »
| Desmond Bane | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | MEM | 68 | 22:20 | 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 | 29:49 | 46.1 | 43.6 | 90.3 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 18.2 |
| 2022-23 | MEM | 58 | 31:44 | 47.9 | 40.8 | 88.3 | 0.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| 2023-24 | MEM | 42 | 34:21 | 46.4 | 38.1 | 87.0 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 23.7 |
| 2024-25 | MEM | 69 | 31:57 | 48.4 | 39.2 | 89.4 | 0.9 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 19.2 |
| 2025-26 | ORL | 48 | 34:13 | 46.5 | 36.2 | 93.6 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 19.4 |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
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