Coward posted 19 points (7-13 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four rebounds and four assists over 25 minutes during Thursday's 137-96 win over the Kings.
Coward couldn't post a second straight double-double, but he scored in double digits for the seventh consecutive appearance. Coward was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and has been one of the best rookies in the NBA, averaging 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game since the beginning of November.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Rolls to third double-double
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Coward provided 19 points (7-15 FG, 5-7 3Pt), 11 rebounds and one assist over 25 minutes during Tuesday's 111-101 loss to San Antonio.
Coward drew his second straight start Tuesday and posted another productive all-around showing. He was certainly feeling it from beyond the arc, where he fell one made triple shy of a new season high. With Ja Morant (calf) expected to miss at least another two weeks, expect Coward and Jaren Jackson to remain key contributors moving forward.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Gets starting nod
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Coward (foot) will enter the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Cavaliers.
Coward entered the morning with a doubtful tag, and then was later upgraded to questionable. He has since been given the green light to play, and he's set up to make his first start of his career at the NBA level. The rookie continues to trend up as one of the few bright spots on this team to open the season.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Doubtful for Saturday
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Coward is doubtful for Saturday's game in Cleveland due to right foot soreness.
The foot issue could help explain why Coward has gone ice cold from distance recently, so perhaps some time off will help him get things back on track. With Coward not expected to play Saturday, there should be more minutes available for Cam Spencer, Vince Williams and John Konchar.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Records two blocks in loss
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Coward closed with 11 points (3-10 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), three rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in 30 minutes during Tuesday's 133-120 loss to the Knicks.
Coward had one of his worst performances offensively, which is more of a credit to his stellar rookie campaign, and he was able to make up for it defensively by recording two steals and two blocks. He is averaging 14.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.7 threes per game.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Goes for 21 points Friday
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Coward finished Friday's 118-104 win over the Mavericks with 21 points (7-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and four assists across 28 minutes.
There's a strong argument to say Coward was the Grizzlies' best player in this win, as he was among the team's best scorers and finished just one rebound shy of a double-double. Coward has scored in double digits in all but two of his 10 games off the bench, and the rookie has done a good job of making the most of his minutes out there. He's averaging a productive 15.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game through his first 10 games in the NBA.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Drops 17 in loss
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Coward accumulated 17 points (5-9 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and two assists over 31 minutes during Monday's 114-106 loss to the Pistons.
Despite the Grizzlies' disappointing 3-5 start, Coward has been a bright spot off the bench, averaging 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.8 threes made on insane 58/48/92 shooting splits. Monday also marked the first time Coward saw over 30 minutes of playing time in a game, indicating the coaching staff's trust in Coward to be productive for longer periods.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Explodes with 27 points
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Coward supplied 27 points (9-13 FG, 6-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one steal in 24 minutes during Saturday's 128-103 win over the Pacers.
Coward went off for a game-high 27 points while draining all six of his three-point attempts. The rookie first-round pick also recorded a game-best plus-36 rating in his time off the bench. Coward is averaging 19.0 points, 3.7 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals on 70.4/72.7/91.7 shooting splits through his first three NBA games, and he'll look to stay hot against the Warriors on Monday.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Drains six triples in victory
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Coward contributed 27 points (9-13 FG, 6-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one steal across 24 minutes in Saturday's 128-103 win over the Pacers.
Coward caught fire en route to a game-high 27 points, including 15 in the third quarter alone. The rookie has logged 22-plus minutes in all three of the Grizzlies' games thus far, averaging 19.0 points in 22.7 minutes per contest. He should continue to see significant playing time off the bench due to Ty Jerome (calf) and Vince Williams (heel) being sidelined.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Totals 15 points off bench
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Coward registered 15 points (4-9 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), one rebound, one assist and one steal across 22 minutes during Saturday's 122-116 preseason loss to Atlanta.
Coward was deployed off the bench Saturday with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returning from a scheduled night off Wednesday. The rookie guard led the Memphis reserves in scoring despite a tough shooting performance from beyond the arc, as he managed to tack on six points from the charity stripe. Coward will presumably be a factor in the Grizzlies' rotation at some point during his first NBA season, though it remains unclear how involved he'll be at the beginning of the year.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Bench role Saturday
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Coward will come off the bench during Saturday's preseason game against the Hawks.
After a poor shooting performance as a starter in Wednesday's preseason game against the Celtics, Coward will be in the second unit. There's no doubting the rookie's talent, but his shooting may become a concern if he can't figure out a way to turn it around during the rest of the preseason.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Shooting woes continue in loss
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Coward produced 15 points (4-13 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 7-7FT), six rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes during Wednesday's preseason loss to Boston.
Coming off an 0-for7 performance in Monday's preseason loss to the Pistons, Coward once again struggled with his shot. However, he was able to get to the free-throw line with regularity, from where he shot a perfect 7-for-7. While his long-term role remains a little uncertain, he could see a few extra minutes to begin the season, especially if Ja Morant misses time.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Likely out for summer ball
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Coward (shoulder) is considered doubtful to play in the Salt Lake City or Las Vegas Summer Leagues this month, a Grizzlies spokesperson told Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
As a senior at Washington State this past season, Coward was limited to just six games before suffering a shredded rotator cuff and partially torn labrum in his left (non-shooting) shoulder in late November that required surgery. Coward's significant shoulder injury didn't deter the Grizzlies from trading up in the 2025 NBA Draft to select him with the 11th overall pick, and though the 21-year-old wing said during the pre-draft process that he's nearly fully recovered from surgery, he hasn't yet taken part in 5-on-5 practices. Coward is still expected to join the Grizzlies in Salt Lake and Las Vegas and take part in pregame work, but he doesn't look as though he'll be ready for game action until the preseason.
