Cedric Coward appeared in a whopping eight Summer League games for the Grizzlies, two in Salt Lake City and six in Las Vegas.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Cedric Coward was one of the top rookies in the NBA last season, a truth that he probably could've used to avoid suiting up in Summer League action this offseason.
Instead, he appeared in a whopping eight Summer League games for the Grizzlies, two in Salt Lake City and six in Las Vegas.
Memphis cared a lot about winning the Summer League title. And even though the push fell short, Coward (and teammate Cameron Boozer) are both going to be taking home some accolades.
Coward has been named to the 2026 NBA All-Summer League Second Team. This offseason was his first chance to get a taste of Summer League play after an injury robbed him of the experience last year. It's safe to say he took advantage of the opportunity this summer.
Boozer, meanwhile, takes home 2026 NBA All-Summer League First Team recognition after being drafted at No. 3 overall last month.
The honors are based on Las Vegas Summer League play only, where Coward averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Overall this summer, including his appearances in Salt Lake City, he averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from deep.
This all comes after he averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his debut NBA season en route to a fifth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year race. It was a strong way for him to begin his NBA career after he was selected with the No. 11 overall pick in last year's draft.
Coward and Boozer both appeared in every game Memphis played in Las Vegas, as did a number of other Grizzlies players. That meant participating in multiple back-to-backs along the way, including games on Saturday and Sunday in the semifinal and championship rounds.
In the title game, the Grizzlies were in control for some time against the Golden State Warriors, but things unraveled a little bit in crunch time for Memphis, which allowed Golden State to emerge victorious.
Despite the sour ending, it's easy to be excited about what Boozer, Coward and others showed along the way, and it's admirable that many guys were ready to play through the finish line instead of resting. The future looks bright for a Grizzlies franchise that is trying to turn a corner.
