Cedric Coward is too good for Summer League, and that is exactly the point. After a year of waiting, he stepped onto the Thomas & Mack floor and put up 17 points, 10 boards, five assists, and two blocks in a one-point win. That's not a rookie finding his footing. That's a fifth-place Rookie of the Year finisher reminding everyone why he was worth the shoulder surgery and the rehab and the long road from Pullman to Memphis. We don't need to wonder if he belongs. He already proved that in 62 regular-season games. What we get to watch now is the polish.
Coward is not the only Coug grinding this summer. Cut mid-flight, Isaac Jones lands on his feet in Detroit tells the story of a guy who got waived mid-flight and still found a landing spot. That is the reality of the NBA life Coward is navigating. Jones got cut from a plane. Coward got drafted 11th. Both of them earned their spot the hard way, and both of them are still fighting for minutes. The difference is Coward already has a role. The Grizzlies trust him to run their pressure defense and handle the ball. He started 47 games last season. That is not a fluke.
The Memphis roster around him is stacked with young talent. Coward's teammate Cam Boozer dropped 23 points and hit the game-sealing free throws. Rookie Caleb Wilson put up 35 for Chicago. Coward did not have the flashiest line, but he had the only double-double. That is the kind of night that tells you he is not just a shooter or a defender. He is a basketball player who fills the box score. And he wants to win Summer League. He did the math. Six wins for a championship. One down.
It is also worth noting that Jaylen Wells was sitting courtside, watching his fellow former Coug do work. That is two Wazzu guys in the same NBA organization, both on rookie deals, both earning real minutes. That is not nothing. That is a pipeline. Self-published book, NFL gig: Noah Riley's unusual route from Whitworth is a reminder that the path to pro sports does not always run through the blue bloods. Coward took the long way too. Eastern Washington, then Washington State, then a shoulder injury, then the draft, then Rookie of the Year votes. The guy is a walking case study in patience.
One thing to watch: Coward's three-point shooting in Vegas has been inconsistent. He went 1-for-5 from deep in this game. He shot 35 percent from three as a rookie, which is solid, but if he wants to lock down that starting role for the long haul, he needs to keep defenses honest. The Grizzlies will live with the misses if he keeps defending and rebounding. But the math gets easier when that shot falls. Five assists and two blocks in a Summer League game is a nice reminder that he does not need to score to be effective. Still, we want to see him knock down a few more of those catch-and-shoot looks as the tournament goes on.
Coward is done waiting. He is playing for a championship this week, and he is playing like a guy who expects to win. That is the right attitude. Go Cougs.