Cedric Coward is already proving to be what most Grizzlies fans hoped he would be after speaking to the media on draft night. The Memphis Grizzlies executed a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers to move up from the 16th draft pick to the 11th pick to select Coward, just days after he worked out with the team.
"I knew the Grizzlies were interested in me, actually, during the season" was the first thing Cedric Coward said when asked when he learned the Grizzlies were interested in him. He fits the prototype of a Memphis Grizzlies player and said as much throughout his conference call with the local media after the draft selection.
General Manager Zach Kleiman made it known during the team's exit interviews that the gritty guys are the type of players that resonate with the city of Memphis and its fanbase. Cedric Coward displayed as much throughout his call with the media following the Grizzlies' trade up to select him.
Cedric Coward fits the mold of a Grizzlies player
When asked what the Grizzlies should expect from him as a player, Coward answered that the first thing he brings is a winning mentality and attitude. He went on to say, "I'm a guy that's going to get after it each and every day, going to enjoy the process, and understand that I need to do what I need to do to get on the court and earn rotation minutes."
He went on to say nothing has ever been given to him, and he doesn't expect it just because he was the 11th pick of the draft. The former Washington State Cougar sounded really excited to be drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and has already enamored the fanbase with his mentality as a player who works for everything. If any fans were concerned with the Grizzlies' trade up to select him, he eased them in 30 seconds.