It wasn't long ago that some fans were worried about Cedric Coward's offensive struggles in the preseason. Ever since, Coward has had a strong rookie season and has shown all the signs of being a key building block in Memphis. Unfortunately, he might end up losing out on NBA All-Rookie First Team due to his limited minutes.
Originally selected 11th overall in a strong 2025 NBA Draft, Cedric Coward has averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 62 games. It is impressive how productive Coward has been, given he has played just 25.8 minutes per game. Unfortunately, as productive as he's been in such a short period of time, it's something that might end up costing him NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Context matters when evaluating Coward's impressive rookie year
When looking at why Coward has played lower minutes than a lot of his rookie peers selected in the lottery, it simply comes down to Coward's minute restrictions and the Grizzlies' tank. Coward has dealt with an assortment of different injuries, such as a recent knee injury and stress reaction in his right foot suffered early in the season.
It makes sense as to why the Grizzlies want to prioritize draft positioning and not put Coward's long-term health in danger. However, the unintended consequence is that Coward will likely fall short of NBA All-Rookie First Team. In the final NBA Rookie Ladder of the season, Coward was listed on the All-Rookie Second Team.
The All-Rookie First Team has many great names in Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, and Maxime Raynaud. However, it is not unreasonable to believe that Coward would be in that conversation if the Grizzlies were making winning their priority. Coward has had a positive plus-minus in 10 of the last 15 games he's played despite the team going 2-13.
There is a good chance the Grizzlies would have eclipsed more than 30 wins despite an injury crisis and significant roster changes if Cedric Coward ended up playing more minutes. For context, he has played 30 minutes just once since 2026 started, the January 26 loss to the Houston Rockets.
More impact in less time should not be seen as a negative
The minutes played should not be used against Coward when deciding the NBA All-Rookie Teams. If anything, Coward making such a strong winning impact in a shorter time speaks significant volumes. Despite the fact Cedric Coward can keep growing as an on-ball creator, he is still an extremely intelligent offensive player off-ball while showing plenty of signs of defensive upside.
It also helps that Coward is one of the best rebounders for his position. The exciting part for Coward's future is that he should have plenty of opportunities to play more with the ball in hands now that the team is committing to him as a key building block alongside Zach Edey.
The Grizzlies will likely trade Ja Morant this summer and put a lot of trust in Cedric Coward and Zach Edey past this season. This summer's stacked 2026 NBA Draft is a strong opportunity to put a potential star player around Cedric Coward and Zach Edey. Most importantly, it has never been more obvious that the Grizzlies struck gold with the Cedric Coward pick.
Regardless of whether or not Cedric Coward makes the NBA All-Rookie First Team, he has more than lived up to that level, and a big year 2 leap should not be out of the question.