Cedric Coward’s moment had arrived.
The 6-foot-6 rookie first-round pick stood at the free-throw line as some of the FedExForum crowd started chanting his name. The chants gradually got louder as the rest of the arena joined in.
Coward had been playing well in the first two Memphis Grizzlies games, but this was his best performance yet. He scored a career-high 27 points and led the Grizzlies to a 128-103 win over the Inidana Pacers on Oct. 25.
It wasn’t just Coward’s points total that stood out. He played sound defense, made all six of his 3-point attempts, secured six rebounds and added four assists.
As the fans chanted his name, Coward missed the ensuing free-throw. It was one of his few misses on the night after shooting 9-for-13 from the field.
“It was cool,” Coward said. “I love how the fans are engaged. It feels good. That wasn’t the reason I missed the free throw, but I did like it.”
Cedric Coward trusting the work
Coward didn’t look like a man who was ready to take a victory lap after his career night. His mindset has quickly switched to wanting to have another big performance in the next Grizzlies game on Oct. 27 against the Golden State Warriors.
The preseason didn’t go as well for Coward. He struggled to make shots while getting his first basketball action since November 2024 after missing most of his last collegiate season with a shoulder injury.
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo preached patience. Veteran teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told Coward to keep shooting.
As a result, Coward never looked like a player whose confidence was shaken. It’s the same message he’s preached even when the results weren’t showing on the stat sheet.
“Like I said since preseason when I was shooting bad, I trust what I do,” Coward said. “I trust the work that I put in.”
Point guard stability
Many of Coward’s shots are within the flow of the offense. Rarely does he appear to be in a rush or take a shot that he isn’t often practicing.
Duuring the preseason, that wasn’t the case. Coward said that he’s getting more comfortable with reps, but there’s also another major change that’s happened since the preseason.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant missed all five preseason games with a left ankle injury. With Morant on the floor, Coward can focus more on quick and decisive shots while the defense focuses on the two-time All-Star.
“I think we’ve been able to offer some more stability for him as well as others,” Iisalo said. “I like the way the lineups worked today. There was good synergy in those lineups. Him having a point guard next to him really helps, but he also did some nice stuff using a lot of the entries, using some actions and was very effective.”
No surprise from Grizzlies teammates
The Coward hype train took off weeks ago during training camp. Grizzlies coaches and teammates were already speaking highly of the potential role he could have this season.
Through three games, Coward has reached double figures and shot above 50% in each contest. He’s shooting 71.4% for the season and 40% on 3-pointers.
“It’s just been waiting to happen,” Iisalo said. “He’s making those shots in practice and knocking them down at a high clip. Great free-throw shooter, like, all the signs are there.”
“That’s what I seen in training camp and all,” Morant said. “I was just waiting for it.”
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.