A 4-8 record isn't the start the Memphis Grizzlies wanted by any means, but the consistent production they have gotten out of Cedric Coward is exactly what they hoped for. The 11th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft was mostly an unknown prospect until the days leading up to the draft, and has shown exactly why the Grizzlies traded up to select him.
Cedric Coward is one of four NBA players with 50/40/90 shooting splits with a minimum of 200 minutes played in this early season. One of his draft profile comparisons, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, is one of those four players in that category, along with San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes and Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu.
What's most impressive is that he leads that group of players in points scored (174) and minutes played (323) to this point of the season (all coming off the bench). The impressiveness doesn't stop there, as his 50/40/90 run can only be rivaled by one other first-year player in the history of the NBA.
Coward is the first rookie to shoot 50-40-90 in his first dozen games
Chet Holmgren is the only other player in NBA history to shoot 50-40-90 in his first 12 career games, with a minimum of 300 minutes played. What separates Cedric Coward is that he is a true rookie, unlike Holmgren, who played his first minutes during his second season after missing his entire rookie season due to an injury.
When Coward started rising draft boards due to his pre-draft workouts, his efficiency became a springboard for teams to realize what he had. He shot 59.5% from the field, including a whopping 72.1% from two in 72 games played at Eastern Washington and Washington State. While he is listed at 6'6", his 7'2" wingspan has also helped him become a plus defender at the start of his NBA career.
For the third week in a row, he has ranked second on the Kia Rookie Ladder, surviving the shuffling at the top of the recent edition. After being ranked behind VJ Edgecombe for the first two weeks, he now trails Kon Knueppel as Edgecombe fell to fourth. Coward's recent 21 points and nine rebounds performance on 70% in a head-to-head matchup against the number one pick, Cooper Flagg, likely kept him above two in the rankings, avoiding a fall to three.
The Grizzlies can hang their hat on the majority of their draft picks panning out, but Coward might be a star in the making. As the team tries to correct its early-season deficiencies, Coward will continue to be a big part of whatever the team's makeup becomes as healthy bodies return to the lineup.