Despite a struggling season, Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward emerged as a bright spot. Discover how his impressive stats and potential position him for future success.
The Memphis Grizzlies' 2025-26 season is officially over.
It wasn't what fans hoped for heading into the season. The Grizzlies were not presumed to be a "tanking" team heading into 2025-26. Fans were safe to assume they'd be trying to compete.
The best laid plans, etc. It didn't work out that way. Due to injuries and a midseason Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, the Grizzlies were one of the worst teams in the Western Conference.
That doesn't mean the season didn't have any bright spots.
Cedric Coward was perhaps the brightest spot of all. The Grizzlies' rookie overdelivered. He looks the part of a potential cornerstone.
Just how strong was his rookie campaign?
Grizzlies rookie shines in difficult season
Let's look at the final statistics first.
Coward finished the year averaging 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. He had a 58.5% True Shooting % (TS%) and a -0.2 Box Plus/Minus (BPM).
Let's break that down.
Given the context, his -0.2 BPM should be seen as highly encouraging. As a rookie on a losing team, one would expect Coward to drag his team down. The fact that the most prominent catch-all metric suggests that he was practically a net neutral bodes well for his long-term outlook.
His TS% is also interesting. Coward shot an impressive 47.1% from the field. He was remarkable around the rim, hitting 73.4% of his attempts between 0-and-3 feet. That and his solid free-throw shooting (84.3%) offset his somewhat mediocre three-point shooting (33.8%).
Is that an ideal shot profile for Coward? It depends on the Grizzlies' roster construction. If he's going to be a career-long rim pressure savant, that's fantastic. Still, it's fair to say that he'll be a more portable player for Memphis if he's a stronger three-point shooter.
Luckily, he probably will be. It typically takes rookies time to adjust to NBA range. Cowards' 33.8% is acceptable for a rookie player - just, as with many rookies, it will ideally be an area of improvement moving forward.
Finally, Coward was a solid defender this year. He's stout at the point of attack and can guard 1-through-3. Still, it would be nice if he added some defensive playmaking to his profile. Coward didn't get many steals or blocks this year. That's not a major knock, but it would make him more effective if he were able to occasionally disrupt plays.
All told, there are too many small criticisms to give Coward a perfect mark. He was not the best rookie in the NBA this year. Still, he's a candidate to be picked for the All-Rookie first team, and if he isn't, he'll be a lock fo the Second Team. That's impressive from the 11th overall pick:
It's about the best thing to happen to Grizzlies fans all season.
Grade: A-