Even if the Memphis Grizzlies still feel like they’re good in the West, they aren’t going to be hibernating this winter.
The fact of the matter is that they haven’t been able to get past the first round of the NBA Playoffs since 2022. On top of that, Tuomas Iisalo is now prepping for his first full season as an NBA head coach. With that being said, the regular season is always akin to an extended practice session for the postseason. However, it’s explicit in this case, as Iisalo will be running different schemes than Taylor Jenkins.
If that wasn’t already enough change, the Grizzlies also parted ways with the player who led the team in win shares for three of the past four seasons. A player who ranked third all-time in franchise history in career 3s despite not even ranking in the top-10 in franchise history in career games. In his place will be fresh meat; a rookie that has only recently been “100% cleared” to play.
Grizzlies Rookie Cedric Coward Has Been ‘Letting The Wolves Out’
“I’m good – I’m good, man. I’m 100% cleared,” Coward enthusiastically tells WMC Action News 5 reporter Matt Infield before adding, “I’m just ready to hoop.”
More good Memphis sports news today: Cedric Coward says he’s “100% cleared” and ready for training camp.
Coward spoke after throwing out the first pitch at the Redbirds game.
“Now that I don’t have to hold anything back…it’s like letting the wolves out.”
— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) September 21, 2025
Asked how long he’s been fully cleared, the “super excited” rookie ponders the question briefly before answering: “I don’t know. August, or something like that. August, something, some time. But I don’t have a specific date. I’ll just tell you right now, I’m 100% clear and ready to go into training camp and ready for the rest of the year.”
That’s when Coward delivered a particularly memorable quote. Comparing playing basketball to riding a bike to address not playing “live competition” since November, alluding to the muscle memory phenomenon that allows people to automatically perform motor tasks that they practiced several times in the process, he says:
“I don’t have to hold anything back. I don’t got people telling me to take a break and stuff. It’s like, you know, letting the wolves out.”
The Last Word On Cedric Coward
Having turned 22 on Sep. 11, Coward is one of the older rookies. However, as he only played six games in the 2024-25 season due to a partially torn rotator cuff, one could consider him a year younger than that. Of course, his biological clock didn’t stop ticking just because he was on the surgical table. Nonetheless, his body didn’t rack up the mileage that it was going to, meaning that it has a bit less wear (though perhaps not tear).
Just to help paint the picture, Coward was on the court 198 total minutes last season. He played 1,612 minutes across the two prior seasons. Meanwhile, Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg logged 1,135 minutes in college as a one-and-done. Desmond Bane, whom Coward has replaced in the rotation, recorded so many minutes at TCU (4,279) that they retired his jersey.
So, while there are those that may question the Grizzlies drafting him 11th overall despite his age and injury history, it’s much ado about nothing. Even concerns about how well his game will translate to the next level after playing for a mid-major are overblown. Expecting any rookie to replicate their college numbers as a rookie is a tough ask. Yet, he undoubtedly has an NBA body and his film captures a technically sound wing with unteachable scoring instincts.
Like any player, Coward’s ceiling will be determined by his attitude as much as his ability. If his affable personality and catchy quotes lend any clues to his mindset, he’ll be just fine.
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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