Cedric Coward Has 23 Points, 12 Rebounds as Tuomas Iisalo Details His Roles

Cedric Coward finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds Saturday night, leading the Memphis Grizzlies in both categories in a 129-110 win over the Brooklyn Nets at FedExForum.

Coward went 7-of-13 overall, 4-of-6 on 3-pointers, and 5-of-6 on free throws. He added 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. His 4 3-pointers led the team. Memphis took Coward with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Washington State. As a rookie last season, he averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 62 games.

Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said Coward's weak-side rim protection at shooting guard is "probably the best in the league for anyone," and he called Coward's rebounding "extremely high level."

"It's been very apparent when you look at the on-offs in our team," Iisalo said. "I think he's leading the whole team and not just in the on-offs, but also the expected ones that adjust for a shot quality, and he's just developed into a very balanced player on both ends."

Iisalo said the narrative that Coward could be more aggressive or take more shots overlooks the lineups he plays in. Coward plays in the starting unit with Zach Edey, Ty Jerome, and Cameron Boozer, according to Iisalo, and a lot of the offense there runs through the two decision-makers. In other lineups, Iisalo said, Coward takes on more of the scoring and creation.

On offense, Boozer said, Coward "can shoot, he can post, he can get to his mid-range."

"He's the guy that's easy to play off because he's got so much to his game," Boozer said. "We have a great kind of two-man game going on on the second side."

"What I like about Cedric is that he's able to go into many, many different roles," Iisalo explained. "He can be a screener. He can be a handler. He's terrific in transition, pushing it up or sprinting the wing for open threes."

Iisalo said Coward is still young, did not play a lot of high-level college basketball, and has one year of NBA experience, so he can still get a lot better.

Edey did not dress for left ankle injury management, and Jerome, Jerami Grant, and Quinten Post were inactive Saturday. Grant was ruled out against Brooklyn earlier in the day, and Edey had been ruled out before tip-off as well. Day'Ron Sharpe grabbed 9 of Brooklyn's 19 offensive rebounds. Coward's 12 rebounds led Memphis, and Boozer was next with 8 as Brooklyn won the overall rebounding count 43-41.

"That's always been who I am since I was little," Coward said in his on-court interview. "Part of rebounding is like, see ball, get ball. You want to touch the ball."

"And plus, like, I know without Zach today, without QP, without a couple guys, JG, Ty, we needed that rebounding," Coward continued.

QP is Post, who is in concussion protocol, and JG is Grant, who was listed with a head injury.

One of Coward's rebounds became a putback dunk over Sharpe. After the previous game, Coward said, his personal coach sent him a clip of a putback chance he missed because he got boxed out.

"So he said, be more athletic," Coward explained. "So I made sure to go in this game, making sure I was more athletic."

Coward also threw an alley-oop to Javon Small, who finished with 19 points. Coward said he sees Small get up every day in practice and was the only one who threw him a lob in summer league, so he wanted to try one in the regular season.

Memphis improved to 9-4 and is 6-0 on the road, while Brooklyn fell to 3-9. The Grizzlies play at Washington on Monday and at Cleveland on Wednesday.