Since it's official that Cam Boozer is a Grizzly, it's time to think about how different things could have been for him and the Grizzlies last year. The Grizzlies traded up to select Cedric Coward 11th overall thanks to a strong NBA Draft combine. However, things could have been extremely different had Cedric Coward not remained in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Cedric Coward got off to a strong start for Washington State before a season-ending shoulder surgery ended his 2024/25 season after just 6 games. Obviously, Coward had a strong rookie season in Memphis and already proved that he made the right decision to go to the NBA. But had he stayed in college, he would have ended up playing alongside Cam Boozer at Duke.
Boozer and Coward would've been a great college duo
Before the combine, Cedric Coward had declared for the NBA Draft while still maintaining his college eligibility. Coward also entered the transfer portal and ended up committing to Duke. On a Duke team that also had solid players such as Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba II, and Caleb Foster, Coward could have potentially been the missing piece to lead them alongside Cam Boozer.
Duke went 35-3 and made it to the Elite Eight thanks to Cam Boozer's dominance running the offense. However, Duke would end up suffering an epic collapse and blowing a 19-point lead to the runner-up UConn Huskies, losing by one point. Despite how impressive Duke was, they were likely a player away from being able to cut down the nets.
Had Cedric Coward stayed in college, it's possible that the outcome would've been different and Duke could have made the national championship. But now, Boozer and Coward will join forces in Memphis and have the opportunity to fast-track the Grizzlies' rebuild alongside Zach Edey.
What could have been at Duke will now be a reality for the Grizzlies very soon. Cam Boozer should contribute immediately for the Grizzlies, and Cedric Coward will likely make a strong year 2 leap. Both players have leadership qualities and skillsets that should dramatically raise the floor of the team right away.
Given how successful Cam Boozer and Cedric Coward were in college basketball, it would've been exciting to see how well they would have done together at Duke. But luckily for Grizzlies fans, they will get to reap the benefits of Boozer and Coward finally teaming up in Memphis a year later.
There are many reasons for Grizzlies fans to be excited about the Cam Boozer selection, but Coward and Boozer finally getting to play together is an underrated storyline of the pick.
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