Coward (heel) is out for Tuesday's game against the Jazz.
Coward has been one of the most productive rookies in the NBA this season, but he'll have to sit this one out due to a left heel injury. If the injury isn't too severe, Coward could potentially return to face the Bucks on Friday. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and GG Jackson could see increased run with Coward sidelined.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Iffy for Tuesday
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Coward is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Jazz with left heel soreness.
Coward logged 25 minutes Monday against the Thunder during the front leg of this back-to-back set, finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. If he's unable to suit up, the Grizzlies will need guys like GG Jackson and Olivier-Maxence Prosper to step up on the wings.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Drops 13 in win
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Coward notched 13 points (5-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 27 minutes during Wednesday's 116-110 win over the Timberwolves.
Coward has had double-digit scoring performances in six of his last seven games, averaging 13.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks across 27.1 minutes in that span. With Ja Morant (ankle) out, Coward took on an increased role Thursday, and the rookie helped deliver a surprising win.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Fifth double-double of season
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Coward notched 17 points (7-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 12 rebounds and six assists across 29 minutes during Friday's 130-126 loss to the Jazz.
Coward recorded his fifth double-double of the season, and the rookie continues to perform at a high level now that he's entrenched as a starter in Memphis' backcourt. Since moving to a starting role Nov. 15, Coward is averaging a solid line of 12.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.3 blocks on 27.8 minutes per game in 12 straight starts.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Double-doubles in win
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Coward recorded 23 points (10-18 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 28 minutes during Friday's 107-98 win over the Clippers.
Coward notched the fourth double-double of his career in this one, and he also set a new career high in rebounds. The rookie had been in a shooting funk in the three games prior, going just 11-for-34 from the floor, so it was nice to see him come through with an efficient scoring performance. He'll look to keep it going Sunday versus Portland.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Modest numbers in Sunday's start
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Coward racked up 10 points (4-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes during Sunday's 115-107 victory over the Kings.
Making his eighth straight start, Coward scored in double digits for the fifth time during that span. The 11th overall pick in the 2025 Draft has been getting his starting opportunity while Ja Morant (calf) has been on the shelf, but the duo started together during the Nov. 15 contest in which Morant got injured, so it's not clear what the plan will be once the Grizzlies star gets healthy. During Morant's seven-game absence, Coward is averaging 11.6 points, 5.7 boards, 2.1 assists and 1.6 threes in 28.1 minutes a contest.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Another solid showing
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Coward posted 19 points (7-13 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four rebounds and four assists over 25 minutes during Thursday's 137-96 win over the Kings.
Coward couldn't post a second straight double-double, but he scored in double digits for the seventh consecutive appearance. Coward was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and has been one of the best rookies in the NBA, averaging 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game since the beginning of November.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Gets starting nod
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Coward (foot) will enter the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Cavaliers.
Coward entered the morning with a doubtful tag, and then was later upgraded to questionable. He has since been given the green light to play, and he's set up to make his first start of his career at the NBA level. The rookie continues to trend up as one of the few bright spots on this team to open the season.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Doubtful for Saturday
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Coward is doubtful for Saturday's game in Cleveland due to right foot soreness.
The foot issue could help explain why Coward has gone ice cold from distance recently, so perhaps some time off will help him get things back on track. With Coward not expected to play Saturday, there should be more minutes available for Cam Spencer, Vince Williams and John Konchar.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Records two blocks in loss
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Coward closed with 11 points (3-10 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), three rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in 30 minutes during Tuesday's 133-120 loss to the Knicks.
Coward had one of his worst performances offensively, which is more of a credit to his stellar rookie campaign, and he was able to make up for it defensively by recording two steals and two blocks. He is averaging 14.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.7 threes per game.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Goes for 21 points Friday
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Coward finished Friday's 118-104 win over the Mavericks with 21 points (7-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and four assists across 28 minutes.
There's a strong argument to say Coward was the Grizzlies' best player in this win, as he was among the team's best scorers and finished just one rebound shy of a double-double. Coward has scored in double digits in all but two of his 10 games off the bench, and the rookie has done a good job of making the most of his minutes out there. He's averaging a productive 15.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game through his first 10 games in the NBA.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Drops 17 in loss
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Coward accumulated 17 points (5-9 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and two assists over 31 minutes during Monday's 114-106 loss to the Pistons.
Despite the Grizzlies' disappointing 3-5 start, Coward has been a bright spot off the bench, averaging 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.8 threes made on insane 58/48/92 shooting splits. Monday also marked the first time Coward saw over 30 minutes of playing time in a game, indicating the coaching staff's trust in Coward to be productive for longer periods.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Drains six triples in victory
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Coward contributed 27 points (9-13 FG, 6-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one steal across 24 minutes in Saturday's 128-103 win over the Pacers.
Coward caught fire en route to a game-high 27 points, including 15 in the third quarter alone. The rookie has logged 22-plus minutes in all three of the Grizzlies' games thus far, averaging 19.0 points in 22.7 minutes per contest. He should continue to see significant playing time off the bench due to Ty Jerome (calf) and Vince Williams (heel) being sidelined.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Totals 15 points off bench
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Coward registered 15 points (4-9 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), one rebound, one assist and one steal across 22 minutes during Saturday's 122-116 preseason loss to Atlanta.
Coward was deployed off the bench Saturday with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returning from a scheduled night off Wednesday. The rookie guard led the Memphis reserves in scoring despite a tough shooting performance from beyond the arc, as he managed to tack on six points from the charity stripe. Coward will presumably be a factor in the Grizzlies' rotation at some point during his first NBA season, though it remains unclear how involved he'll be at the beginning of the year.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Bench role Saturday
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Coward will come off the bench during Saturday's preseason game against the Hawks.
After a poor shooting performance as a starter in Wednesday's preseason game against the Celtics, Coward will be in the second unit. There's no doubting the rookie's talent, but his shooting may become a concern if he can't figure out a way to turn it around during the rest of the preseason.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Shooting woes continue in loss
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Coward produced 15 points (4-13 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 7-7FT), six rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes during Wednesday's preseason loss to Boston.
Coming off an 0-for7 performance in Monday's preseason loss to the Pistons, Coward once again struggled with his shot. However, he was able to get to the free-throw line with regularity, from where he shot a perfect 7-for-7. While his long-term role remains a little uncertain, he could see a few extra minutes to begin the season, especially if Ja Morant misses time.
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Grizzlies' Cedric Coward: Likely out for summer ball
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Coward (shoulder) is considered doubtful to play in the Salt Lake City or Las Vegas Summer Leagues this month, a Grizzlies spokesperson told Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
As a senior at Washington State this past season, Coward was limited to just six games before suffering a shredded rotator cuff and partially torn labrum in his left (non-shooting) shoulder in late November that required surgery. Coward's significant shoulder injury didn't deter the Grizzlies from trading up in the 2025 NBA Draft to select him with the 11th overall pick, and though the 21-year-old wing said during the pre-draft process that he's nearly fully recovered from surgery, he hasn't yet taken part in 5-on-5 practices. Coward is still expected to join the Grizzlies in Salt Lake and Las Vegas and take part in pregame work, but he doesn't look as though he'll be ready for game action until the preseason.
