A prolific sharpshooter, Desmond Bane possesses several traits valuable to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers need shooting, the same way a flame needs oxygen. When there’s not enough of it, a powerful force takes only seconds to flicker out. The Sixers are presently light on shooters, and the 2020 NBA Draft will provide ample opportunities to right that wrong.
Enter Desmond Bane.
Playing his biggest role yet as a senior at TCU, Bane showcased a diverse skill set well-suited to the Sixers’ current needs. He’s simultaneously an elite shooter and a smart playmaker, all while bringing size and toughness to the wing.
Bane checks a lot of boxes for the modern NBA, and he’s built for the kind of off-ball, secondary playmaking role the Sixers desperately need filled. He averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists this season, with a blistering 44.2 percent success rate from deep. Not shabby.
Currently projected in the early to mid-second round, Bane should occupy a significant space on the Sixers’ radar. Philadelphia has five second-round picks at its disposal, with a couple in the 30s. Bane should be available.
Strengths
Bane is sturdily built at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. Though not an elite athlete by any stretch, he should capably defend at least two positions in the NBA. His strength also translates well to the offensive end, where he absorbs contact at the rim to better finish in traffic.
Strength and finesse are important elements to Bane’s game. He’s not particularly explosive, so he instead relies on subtle hesitation moves and a wide frame to keep defenders off-balance and create scoring angles inside. Despite a below-average first step, he’s a crafty pick-and-roll threat who tends to make sound decisions.
Where Bane truly shines, however, is his jump shot. As a senior, he shot 44.2 percent on a career-high 6.5 attempts per game from behind the 3-point line. He’s comfortable weaving in and out of screens and shooting on the move. His footwork and fluid release, albeit mechanically strange, are oftentimes poetic.
Similar to his precise footwork on drives, Bane uses hesitations and herky-jerky movements to lose his defender off the ball as well. He’s constantly moving and relocating along the 3-point line, interspersed with well-timed cuts to the rim. He has a real nose for open space, and should thrive if placed next to high-end creators at the next level.
Bane can also create his own looks to some degree. He has a step-back in his arsenal, and while he’s not the type of athlete to create a ton of space in isolation, he can comfortably hit pull-up jumpers. Anyone with Bane’s deep range and honey-sweet stroke can pull a rabbit out of the hat every once in a while.
Weaknesses
Bane is a solid defender. He’s 6-foot-5 and broad-shouldered. He has quick hands, impressive instincts, and a high-functioning motor. There’s a lot to like. Even so, his lackluster athleticism is cause for concern. He’s bound to struggle against the NBA’s more dynamic creators, which limits his versatility. For example, Bane isn’t someone you want switched onto Kemba Walker.
Also, with a 6-foot-6 wingspan, Bane isn’t terribly long for his size. So while he can defend twos and threes at the next level, there are boundaries he simply cannot cross. Not necessarily a weakness, but a limiting factor nonetheless.
On the other end, Bane should get by as a spot-up shooter and ancillary playmaker who functions best next to other creators. He’s not a point guard, and no NBA team will try to make him one. That’s a square peg in a round hole situation.
The issues lie once more in Bane’s athletic profile. While he has enough craft and touch to score on forays to the rim, Bane’s lack of vertical pop is still problematic. Length may bother him at the rim, and without a great first step, he may struggle to create advantages elsewhere.
There are some lingering concerns about Bane’s shot mechanics — he has a low release, and he’s no Klay Thompson aesthetically — but I would avoid reading too far into them. His percentages have remained high on steady volume for four seasons at TCU. The track record and sample size is large enough to invest in. He’s one of the best shooters in the draft, plain and simple.
Fit with the Sixers
The Sixers need — you guessed it! — shooters. Bane is a shooter through and through, so it shouldn’t be difficult for him to capture the imagination of the Sixers fanbase. The front office should have him earmarked as a potential second-round target as we speak (or read, or write).
Brett Brown is at his best when there are shooters on the floor. Bane can work DHOs, bolt around screens, and run some of the sets J.J. Redick and Marco Belinelli once popularized. He’s not the same quick-trigger shooter, but he occupies a similar role on paper and is accustomed to a movement-heavy style of play.
He also adds another pick-and-roll ball-handler to the mix, which the Sixers should lean on more often. While he doesn’t readily address the Sixers’ need for a quick-twitch scorer on the perimeter, Bane’s contributions as a shooter and ball-mover are enough to earn a roster spot.
He also fits Brown’s desire for size and defense on the perimeter. I’ve been over Bane’s limitations at length, but he brings an element of strength and toughness the Sixers are sure to appreciate. He would fit just fine next to a slew of versatile defenders in Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, and others.
In the simplest terms, Bane is a dynamite shooter and a smart all-around player. He does the little things well, and he immediately addresses some — if not all — of the Sixers’ biggest needs in the second unit. He’s one to watch.