Forget box scores. This rookie prioritizes wins and process over points, redefining NBA success with a unique, result-driven philosophy.
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward does not start with the box score.
In a recent interview with HoopsHype during All-Star Weekend, Coward offered a perspective that runs counter to the stat-driven culture surrounding the NBA. For the Memphis rookie, the definition of a “good game” begins with the result — and the process — not the points column.
“What do you define as a bad game, though?” Coward told HoopsHype when asked how he evaluates his performances.
He then laid out the dilemma.
“If you score a lot of points and you lose, it can say you had a good game because you scored a lot of points, but you lost,” he told HoopsHype. “Or if you score a little amount of points and you win, you can say you had a bad game because you scored a little amount of points, but you won.”
Coward said he starts with winning.
“So for me, I always go and base the game I had on the result first and just the process of the game,” he told HoopsHype.
That approach has shaped how he views his rookie season. Coward is averaging 13.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 48 games while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. His steady production earned him a Rising Stars selection, marking a notable development for a player who appeared in just six college games before entering the NBA.
But Coward said the numbers alone do not tell him whether he played well.
“If I was getting the shots I wanted and I was making the right passes and maybe stuff didn’t fall, and I had three points and I was 2 for 10, but I got the shot that I wanted, I’ll say it’s a decent game,” he told HoopsHype. “Now I just got to make the shots.”
The distinction is subtle but important. In a league where scoring totals often dominate conversation, Coward emphasized decision-making and shot quality over raw output.
Memphis enters the stretch run at 20-33, sitting 11th in the Western Conference. Injuries have disrupted continuity throughout the season. Ja Morant has appeared in just 20 games and is expected to miss at least three weeks with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. The Grizzlies are 7-13 in games Morant has played and 13-20 without him.
For a young player navigating that environment, Coward’s emphasis on process may serve as a stabilizing framework.
Rather than chasing scoring milestones, he described focusing on execution — the right read, the right pass, the right shot.
The box score comes later.
In a season defined by adjustment and uncertainty, Coward’s philosophy suggests a broader understanding of growth. A stat line may capture what happened. For him, the evaluation starts with how it happened — and whether it helped his team win.