Cedric Coward has become one of the clearest reasons the Grizzlies have surged out of the gate, and the message from his early-season play is impossible to miss: he knows exactly what kind of impact he wants to make.
As Memphis keeps stacking up positive storylines in a season that has already turned heads, Coward’s rise has stood out as one of the most important. The Grizzlies clearly wanted him to be a major piece of this new era, and he’s answering that trust with a game built on purpose, energy, and efficiency.
The box score tells part of the story. Coward is averaging 13.8 PPG, 9 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.3 SPG per game.
But the bigger value is showing up in the areas that tilt games: rebounding, shooting, and defense. That’s where his leap is really taking shape.
Memphis came into the season expecting its rebounding trio of Cam Boozer, Zach Edey, and Coward to be a defining strength. So far, that has held true.
Coward, though, has been especially striking on the glass. Per Basketball Reference, his 25.4% defensive rebounding rate is the best among guards in the league so far this season, even ahead of historically strong rebounding guards and wings like Luka Doncic and Josh Hart.
That work has already led to two double-doubles, and it does more than pad his stat line. Coward’s rebounding cuts down second-chance looks for opponents and helps Edey and Boozer get moving downhill sooner, which gives Memphis a better chance to settle into its offense and keep possessions flowing.
His shooting has taken a major step, too. Coward leads the league in 3P% at 68.8% so far this season.
That number is obviously going to come back to earth, but the more important development is how efficiently he’s handling the looks he’s supposed to make. Every three he has made this season has been assisted, which fits his role as a perimeter outlet as the ball swings around the floor.
He’s taking 3.3 catch-and-shoot 3PAs per game, the same volume as last year, but the results are dramatically different. He’s making 69% of those attempts this season after hitting just 32% last year. If he can stay above 40% on catch-and-shoot threes over the full season, that would go a long way toward validating the shooting jump many expected from him.
The corner three is another area worth watching. Last season, Coward made only 22.4% of his corner 3PAs.
This year, he’s been perfect from that spot. His shot profile has also shifted some, with a fourth of his 3PAs last year coming from the corner, compared to just an eighth so far this season.
That could be by design, but if he becomes a dependable corner threat, it would add another layer to his value.
Defensively, Coward has been just as important. Memphis is 4th in the NBA in OPP 3P%, holding opponents to 30.3% from deep, and Coward is a major part of that success.
When he is on the floor, opponents are shooting 46% EFG% and 27% from three. When he sits, those numbers jump to 52% EFG% and 33% from three.
He leads the team in contested opponent three-point attempts per game and ranks second only to Zach Edey in total contested shots per game. Among NBA guards, his 6.5 total contested shots per game is fourth in the league. He’s also doing more to bother ball movement, with his deflections and steals both up this season as he has become more active in passing lanes.
That defensive impact shows up in another telling split: when Coward is on the court, the Grizzlies turnover rate is 10%. When he’s off, it’s 20%. His decision-making is helping Memphis stay cleaner offensively, too.
Ty Jerome and Cam Boozer may be grabbing the biggest headlines, but the breakouts of Jaylen Wells and Coward have been just as central to Memphis’ strong start. Coward’s growth has been especially valuable because so much of it looks sustainable. The three-point number will come down, but the broader efficiency gains and his all-around impact should hold up.
That’s what makes this second-year leap so encouraging for the Grizzlies. Coward may not be the loudest scorer on the roster, but his role as a “star in support” is becoming clearer by the game. And if he keeps playing with this kind of intent, his impact is going to stay impossible to ignore.
In Other News...
Kings Desperately Need A Break As Injury Questions Loom In Memphis
The Kings head into Saturdays stop in Memphis still searching for their first win, and the trip is only getting tougher. Sacramento is 0-5 and already short-handed, with four key players unavailable, leaving the roster thin as it tries to steady itself against an undefeated Grizzlies team that has looked far more settled through the opening stretch.
Memphis, though, is dealing with a little uncertainty of its own. The Grizzlies listed Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. as questionable for the 5:00 p.m. PT tip, so the final injury report could still shape how much pressure Sacramento faces on the road. Even with that uncertainty, this feels like another early-season test the Kings can ill afford to let slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Boozers Start Has Grizzlies Fans Dreaming Bigger Than Expected
Cameron Boozers first week in Memphis has already gone from promising to impossible to ignore. The rookie forward has been a major part of the Grizzlies 5-0 start, giving the team the kind of early-season lift that can change the mood around a locker room and a fan base almost overnight. In his fifth career game, he put together a triple-double, a performance that instantly put him in rare company and gave Memphis another reason to believe this start is more than a hot streak.
What makes the beginning even more striking is how quickly Boozer has settled into the pace and responsibility of an NBA rotation piece. The Grizzlies have leaned on him from the jump, and the production has matched the opportunity. For a team trying to build something real this season, Boozers emergence has raised the ceiling in a hurry, and it is fair to wonder how high that ceiling can go if this is only the opening chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Face A Bigger Concern Than Sacramento Before Key Test
The Grizzlies could be walking into their matchup with Sacramento short-handed in the backcourt and up front, with Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. both listed as questionable and Quinten Post doubtful. Jerome is dealing with upper back soreness, Pippen with lower back soreness, and Post with a right ankle sprain, leaving Memphis to sort through its rotation closer to tipoff.
That uncertainty matters because Jerome has been one of Memphis most important offensive engines, and the Kings are already a familiar opponent after the earlier win over Sacramento. If the Grizzlies are forced to navigate this one without multiple regular contributors, the focus shifts from just getting another result to managing the lineup well enough to stay on track in a key early test. [Read more 🡒]