Despite a difficult 25-57 season, the Grizzlies made an incredible decision to trade up and select Cedric Coward 11th overall in last year's draft. Coward impressed as a rookie and looks ready to have a breakout sophomore season in Memphis. A recent redraft of the 2025 class shows the Grizzlies struck gold and that we still likely haven't seen the best of Cedric Coward.
Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes did a redraft of the 2025 NBA Draft, and the result for Cedric Coward will excite Grizzlies fans. Coward was selected 5th overall by the Utah Jazz instead of the original selection of Ace Bailey.
Having been selected outside the top 10, this is well deserved recognition for Coward and an accurate reflection of how well his rookie season went. Coward made the All-Rookie First Team despite not having the chance to play in Summer League due to recovery from shoulder surgery.
Cedric Coward averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 points, and 2.6 assists in 62 games and looks ready to be a key building block in Memphis for years to come.
Cedric Coward will only keep getting better
When considering the context of the Grizzlies' season, it is still impressive how much Cedric Coward impacted winning early on. It is no small feat for Coward to have one of the league's best on/off swings as a rookie that included a list of players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.
Had the Grizzlies not been prioritizing draft positioning and Coward played more minutes, it is likely that the team would have won way more than 25 games. The Grizzlies still have plenty of work to do to improve the roster; however, Cedric Coward playing more next season alongside Zach Edey could lead the Grizzlies to being a potential surprise team in the Western Conference.
Cedric Coward is already a solid rebounder and has a quality offensive game off the ball. Coward shot 33.8% from three, but he has solid mechanics, and it looks very likely that percentage will improve. It will be important for Coward to be more comfortable on-ball reps and to get stronger, but it's extremely encouraging how well he performed despite not having a proper offseason.
Given how much of a winning impact Coward has shown already, it seems likely that he should be a solid role player at the very worst. But performances such as his third game as a rookie against the Pacers and the home defeat to the 76ers on December 30 showed signs of a potential star in Memphis. It wouldn't be surprising if Coward shatters expectations again just like his rookie season.
Coward has shown signs of evolving into one of the leaders Memphis needs, which should help drive any improvement he makes leading up to this season. This is a crucial offseason for the Grizzlies, but the signs point to a sophomore breakout for Cedric Coward.
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