Cedric Coward Makes One Goal Clear for Grizzlies in Year 2
· Yahoo Sports
Cedric Coward set one goal for his second season with the Memphis Grizzlies when asked Monday: make the playoffs.
Memphis went 25-57 last season and finished 13th in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies' last playoff trip came in April 2025, after a 48-34 regular season, when they earned the eighth seed through the play-in tournament and were swept by Oklahoma City in the first round. The franchise's last playoff series win came in 2022 against Minnesota.
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Coward Makes Playoff Goal Clear
Winning is all that matters at the end of the day, in Coward's view.
"To make the playoffs, I think," Coward said. "Like Coach says it all the time, if we have success as a team, you'll have individual success. That's kind of what went in the Summer League this past summer. Obviously, a lot of people were wondering what's the fit going to be with Cam and [Ced]. And then obviously you had Javon, and obviously Walt didn't play, but [O-Max] and [T-Hen] and all that stuff. But we all went into it with the same mindset. Look, man, if we succeed as a team, the individual is going to take care of itself."
"And for me, like you said, everybody has individual goals," Coward continued. "Obviously you want to be All-Star, Hall of Famer, all that stuff like that, but that's all results. For me, it's all about the process. How can I get better each and every day? If I have a bad defensive game, how can I improve upon that the next game? If I have a bad possession, I shoot an airball, it's like, OK, how do I adjust my shot? But for me, that's the only thing I want to do is make the playoffs and succeed as a team."
Memphis played its Summer League schedule with a group that included Cameron Boozer, the third overall pick, Javon Small, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who is entering his fourth NBA season, and Taylor Hendricks. Walter Clayton Jr. did not play.
After a 4-2 run through Las Vegas, the Grizzlies fell to Golden State 94-90 in the title game. Boozer earned First Team honors on the All-Summer League squad, and Coward was a Second Team pick after scoring 19.0 points a game there.
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said at his own availability Monday that success for this team is the culture it sets every day, not a number or a seed.
Coward Wants Grizzlies to Build Winning Culture
Coward wants the Grizzlies to set an example off the court as well, in Memphis and beyond.
"Well, I do my part by taking care of business on and off the court," Coward explained. "We want to be a team, like you said, on the court that is known for winning. Obviously, it was tough last year. [But at] the end of the day, it's been done in the past, and then we're trying to build on that in the future. And then even off the court too, setting a good example in the community, setting a good example not only around Memphis but around the United States and even the world."
"For me, the only thing I can do is do my part in making sure I honor that and honor that commitment I gave to my team and to Coach and the philosophy and organization," Coward added. "And then ultimately, man, like Coach said, we're trying to build that culture from the ground up. Those are the most successful teams you see in the league now, all those teams that built it from the ground up, which are the Thunder, the Spurs, the Knicks, obviously, who just won a championship. Those are guys that are built from the ground and have a super solid foundation, and then now you start building the stuff on top."
New York beat San Antonio 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 13 to win its first title since 1973. Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in the clincher, averaged 32.6 for the series, and was the unanimous Finals MVP.
The Knicks came back from 29 points down in Game 4, the largest comeback in Finals history, and became the first team to win the NBA Cup and the championship in the same season. Oklahoma City won the championship a year earlier, beating Indiana in seven games.
Grizzlies Have Reshaped Roster Around Young Core
The Grizzlies have turned over most of the roster that went into last season. Portland got Ja Morant on June 29 in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, and Detroit sent Isaiah Stewart to Memphis.
Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells are among the young players who remain. Wells and Edey both made the All-Rookie First Team in 2024-25, a year before Coward did.
Coward was the 11th pick in the 2025 draft. He made the All-Rookie First Team after averaging 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds.
The Grizzlies begin camp Tuesday at Belmont University. Their first preseason game is Oct. 5 in Atlanta.