Grizzlies coach Iisalo calls Cedric Coward a "featured guy" after his 24-point night. We analyze the rookie's 58% True Shooting and his evolution into a primary scorer for Memphis.
The Memphis Grizzlies took the court at FedExForum on Saturday with 11 guys on the injury report. A brilliant performance by rookie wing Cedric Coward made sure that was just a footnote.
Coward put up 24 points and grabbed nine boards, hauling a skeleton-crew Grizzlies rotation to a 125-124 win over the Chicago Bulls. The victory finally put an end to a five-game losing streak and provided a morale boost to a locker room that hadn't seen the win column in two weeks.
After another strong performance, Coward has now played 57 games and averaged 13.5 points, but with the roster decimated against Chicago, he had to be the primary offensive engine. He didn't blink when things got tight late, either. Coward drew a double-team in the post and kicked it out to Walter Clayton Jr. on the perimeter. Clayton’s 3-pointer with 15.2 seconds left ended up being the dagger.
"He plays with a lot of poise," Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo said. "That’s one of his very rare qualities for a two-three, that he's able to go to the post and also create out of there."
The efficiency numbers tell the real story of Coward's season. He is shooting 46.8% from the field and 84.4% from the line, fueling a 58.0% True Shooting percentage. He's put together some big nights that show the poise of a veteran more than the inexperience of a rookie.
"I think you’ve got to read it and then execute it," Coward said about the winning pass. "For me, early in the game we ran a play... and it got stolen. I wish I could get that play back, but at the same time, it kind of translated to the end of the game."
Memphis (25-49) was basically forced to play a "next man up" style by default. That lack of bodies has turned Coward into a featured guy, according to Iisalo. Even as teams scout him harder, he still has a +25 on-court plus-minus for the season. For a player on a 25-win team, that's an outlier.
"Right now he's a featured guy," Iisalo noted. "I think he's done a great job letting the game come to him. Scoring is the least of our concerns... It's more about the little things."
One of those "little things" saved the night at the horn. Following a late Memphis turnover, Bulls guard Collin Sexton had a clean look at a game-winning layup. Coward recovered just fast enough to make Sexton double-clutch, and the ball was still in Sexton's hand when the red light flashed.
"I knew the time was short, so he was going to have to make a quick decision," Coward said. "Luckily, I was able to make him indecisive... and that’s when the time ran out."
While the local talk usually centers on the draft lottery, Coward is a lock to be a crucial member of the Grizzlies' core.
The Grizzlies host the Phoenix Suns on Monday.