Memphis Grizzlies wing Cedric Coward has been getting his flowers for months.
The rookie has been hearing about how he’s blown away his learning curve since the combine, where he pivoted from attending Duke to play college basketball after wowing enough scouts to emerge as a lottery lock. His quick start shot him towards the top of the early Rookie of the Year betting odds, where No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg was thought to be a lock upon being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks.
Now, future Hall of Famers are getting in on the act, comparing Coward to other future Hall of Famers. Speaking on his podcast, the Draymond Green Show, the Golden State Warriors forward favorably compared the Grizzlies’ rookie to Kawhi Leonard, lauding his defense, shooting stroke, pace and length.
Draymond green with HIGH praise for Cedric coward pic.twitter.com/lw01btUFO3
— Playoff MEM (@PlayoffMem) November 19, 2025
That’s an amazing nod to Coward, who came through the Bay Area in Game 4 of his first season after torching the Indiana Pacers for 27 points two nights prior. Clearly, the 22-year-old forward made an impression on all the Warriors, particularly the one who would be most interested in studying his game as a former Defensive Player of the Year and noted student of the game.
Coward, listed at 6-foot-6, has shown he can legitimately play some off guard and both forward spots, and once his handle improves, will indeed be a handful. He’s shown inside his first 20 games that he’s going to be worth building around whether Memphis rights its ship immediately and makes a run at a playoff berth or tears down the current setup by moving Ja Morant to usher in a rebuild.
Coward shines vs. Spurs, posts better numbers than Kawhi did as rookie
Coward finished with team-highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds in Tuesday’s 111-101 loss at the San Antonio Spurs, the franchise that developed Kawhi Leonard from an unheralded hidden gem at San Diego State into what he ultimately became as an NBA champion and one of the league’s top two-way players.
Coward is averaging 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and shooting over 40 percent from the field despite thriving immediately to the point where he’s not sneaking up on anyone in not appearing prominently on opposing game plans. Leonard entered the NBA at 20 years old and averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 37.6 percent from beyond the arc.
“He uses his size well, can defend up, can defend down,” Green said of Coward. “I really think and obviously Kawhi worked his ass off to become Kawhi – Cedric has to put the work in – but i he does put the work in…he 1,000 percent could be like Kawhi Leonard. No questions asked.”
Leonard did get tremendous experience in the postseason early in his career, which aided his development immensely since he was able to grow under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. It doesn’t look like Coward will enjoy a similar trajectory in that regard, but he’s well on his way to becoming a star if he continues to blossom.
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