How Grizzlies are easing Cedric Coward around NBA’s rookie wall

The NBA season has a way of compressing time for rookies. What feels manageable in November can become a grind by February, when the physical toll of an 82-game schedule collides with the mental demands of learning a new system. Tuomas Iisalo’s regrouping Memphis Grizzlies are going through some of Cedric Coward’s growing pains while trying to salvage a season. With the injuries and losses mounting up, Iisalo has adjusted accordingly.

Coward is averaging 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists through 44 games, but has seen an uptick in efficient production lately. Iisalo acknowledged that the rookie is facing multiple challenges, fighting battles on multiple fronts in many ways, both on the court and in the training room. Yet he is still producing 14 points on 40% three-point shooting in the last 10 games.

“I mean, it’s not just a mental test or emotional, but also a physical test for (Coward),” Iisalo explained. “He doesn’t have that load, you know, that you have from previous years or even from the summer. So, he’s had to play catch-up the whole season, and we saw some early signs of that with the stress reaction in his foot.”

However, even though stress and stats are up, low-impact, high-information minutes cannot be spared. Coward’s bumps and bruises are starting to accumulate a bit too quickly for anyone to be too comfortable. There will be a certain level of baked-in caution moving forward.

“There’s been some other stuff, but (Coward) has done a great job. Our medical staff has done a great job too, and we like it. I try to rein myself in to keep the minutes to an acceptable amount so that he can also keep practicing at the same time,” Iisalo noted. “Because it’s one thing to play heavy minutes in the games, but if those minutes come out of the practice reps, that’s also not good for a player that clearly needs to get better to reach the highest levels.”

Coward’s journey to the NBA was unconventional, starting in Division III at Willamette University before transferring to Eastern Washington and then Washington State, where a shoulder injury limited him to just six games in his final college season. This abbreviated preparation meant he entered the league without the typical summer league buildup or extended preseason reps, forcing him to play catch-up from day one.

An ankle sprain suffered against the Los Angeles Lakers, when he landed awkwardly on DeAndre Ayton’s foot, caused him to miss several games. Coward is dealing with the aftereffects of a stress reaction in his foot, sidelining him briefly and leading to a minute restriction upon return. Still, as the Grizzlies push through the second half of the season, Grind City worthy resilience will be key.

With Iisalo’s Grizzlies clinging to slim NBA Play-In Tournament aspirations, easing Cedric Coward around this wall could turn a potential stumbling block of a season into a stepping stone for the 22-year-old’s promising career.

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