Grizzlies’ Rookie Cedric Coward Looking Ahead of Schedule

The Memphis Grizzlies were aggressive in moving up at the 2025 NBA Draft. An exciting prospect for more tapped into the draft hemisphere, as Memphis has done more with less than plenty of teams in the last decade.

That made the selection of Washington State forward Cedric Coward at No. 11 all the more intriguing, as the Cougar already offered an essential mystery box on the wing. He stands at 6-foot-6 as a three-and-D wing, with the kicker being his enormous 7-foot-2 wingspan.

Coward played two seasons at Eastern Washington in the Big Sky conference, his junior season offering enough oomph to transfer to Washington State. He began his senior season on draft radars, but after a great six-game start to the campaign, suffered a season-ending injury.

From there, he would miss the rest of collegiate ball, the pre-draft process and a necessity in NBA Summer League, which would’ve offered a great middle-ground for him to rev up in ahead of his NBA career.

So one couldn’t fault Coward for potentially struggling to begin his NBA career, even in preseason. But instead, he’s already shown glimpses of a highly-impactful player, meaning he’s well ahead of schedule just a few games into his career.

The 22-year-old did need a buffer game. In the team’s preseason opener versus the Pistons he went 0-fer from the field, finishing 0-for-7 overall with five rebounds. He finished a near-team-low with a -22 plus-minus. 

That game would serve to get the apparent nervousness out.

Against the Celtics, Coward started, scoring 15 points, adding six rebounds and two assists. He failed to his a three, but saw a much better performance overall. He finished a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, using his premier length and physicality to get downhill.