The absence of Ja Morant due to a 25-game suspension has put the Memphis Grizzlies in a tough spot this season. But that has only given Desmond Bane the opportunity to spread his wings on the offensive end by taking on a heavier offensive burden than he would have if Morant was around. And on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons, Bane arguably had the best game of his young professional career in a 116-102 win for the Grizzlies that moves them to 6-14 on the year.

Bane, simply put, was a man on a mission against the Pistons. The 25-year old guard put up a career-high 49 points on 19-31 shooting from the field (4-8 from three, 7-7 from the line), to go along with six rebounds and eight assists, as the Pistons had trouble defending the Grizzlies star on multiple occasions. And in doing so, Bane etched his name even deeper into Grizzlies lore.

According to NBA.com/Stats on Twitter (X), Desmond Bane became just “the second player in Grizzlies franchise history to record a 45+ PTS, 5+ REB, 5+ AST game, joining Mike Miller”. Miller, the two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, was one of the more dangerous perimeter shot-creators in his prime, as on February 21, 2007, he recorded 45 points, six rebounds, and five assists in an overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Being in the same company as Miller, on a personal level, is a very good feat for Bane, although there may be reason for the Grizzlies to be concerned that the 25-year old guard, as well as he's playing right now, may be taking on too much of a workload on offense.

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Like Mike Miller, Desmond Bane thrives more on attacking defenses off catches and curls and pindowns, and their gravity on offense thanks to their outstanding marksmanship from deep allows them to knife through the lane and get easy pull-up shots from midrange as well. That skillset may be more suited to a second option on offense.

But the good news is that Bane is looking more equipped to handle a bigger workload, so when Ja Morant returns, the Grizzlies will have two explosive scoring options in the backcourt that should help them climb the standings in the Western Conference.