Cedric Coward Scouting Deepdive
Cedric Coward is catching the eyes of NBA teams and fans after a strong performance at the Draft Combine. From D-III to transferring to Duke, what does this promising career potentially look like?
There may not be a more intriguing and under the radar player in the NBA Draft than Cedric Coward. After starting in Division III, then dominating at Eastern Washington for two seasons and transferring to Washington State where he appeared in just six games, Coward is testing the waters in the draft. The now Duke transfer has been catching eyes in the NBA Draft Combine with his 72% shooting percentage in his shooting drills. What does his potential professional career look like?
The Physical Profile
Cedric Coward stands in at 6’6 with a monstrous 7’2 wingspan and weighs 206 pounds. He had a 38.5” max vertical and a 32.5” no-step vertical registered at the combine. A couple of players come to mind when looking at Coward:
One player that comes to mind when watching Coward is Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks. Bridges is also 6’6 with a 7’1 wingspan and weighs 209 pounds, making him a nearly identical physique comparison to Coward. From a playmaking percentage, Bridges is averaging 2.7 assists in his career, but over the last few seasons he has taken a huge step forward while averaging 3.7 per game. I believe the Coward will be more of a disruption on the glass than Bridges, but offensively there’s a lot of similarities and I like the comparison on the ability to able to run an offense as a secondary ball handling contributor.
Another player that I see a strong resemblance to is Aaron Nesmith of the Indiana Pacers. Nesmith is a fellow 6’6 wing with a knack of being a menace on defense and the glass while also being a reliable offensive weapon. I think that Coward has the potential to be more of an impact player quicker in his career. For Nesmith, he was overshadowed in Boston, but he’s improved in each of his three seasons with the Pacers. For Coward, I could see a similar role for him on whichever team he lands on. Nesmith averaged 12 points with four rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 50.7% overall and 43.1% from deep. Offensively, I’d imagine a similar production level for Coward, but I think that Coward can take another step further than Nesmith on the defensive end and with his playmaking abilities.
It’s worth noting that Coward isn’t a freakishly athletic player. He has a reasonably strong vertical which lets him rack up some nice blocks and covers up some occasional footwork issues. However, there’s some inconsistency in his ability to keep up with defenders to get in position for a block, but as he continues to develop and grow stronger, I believe this will become a non-issue. He’s not going to create poster dunks, but the rest of his offensive abilities will give him plenty of room to shine and become a fan favorite.
What’s the Vision?
How can you talk about Cedric Coward without acknowledging his offensive prowess as his number one selling point. The star guard has shot 59.3% overall and 38.6% from deep across 73 games over the last three seasons. In just six games last year, his effective field goal percentage was 65.6%. He is a dynamic scorer as he isn’t afraid to post up down low and from the outside. He can be a sharpshooter on the catch-and-shoot or while creating his own space. His off-ball shooting is out of this world. He was in the 95th percentile for all jump shots, which given that was just in six games last season. Per KenPom he had a whopping 70% true shooting percentage.
Looking at his mechanics, it has all the main components needed to succeed at the NBA level. His shooting motion is beautiful, he can score of the catch and shoot, he can drive to the lane to finish around the rim at high percentages thanks to his length, and he has a gorgeous mid-range jumper. Check out his highlights below:
Coward is also a stout rebounder. On his career, he’s averaging 6.2 rebounds, in which 1.8 of those are offensive. Despite being just 6’6, his 7’2 wingspan unlocks an enormous amount of potential as a wing. With his physique and athletic abilities, he is going to be a problem for teams at the next level.
Defensively, he uses his length to clog the lanes and protect the paint. Again, at just 6’6 he has a huge impact on defense thanks to just 7’2 wingspan. In his six games for the Cougars, he averaged 1.7 blocks per game. For Eastern Washington the year prior, he averaged one steal and 0.9 blocks across 32 games. I think there is more room for improvement here for Coward, but he is just 21 years old, and he’ll continue to get better as time goes on. Let me say though, his transition defense is already as good as it gets. In some of the six games he spent with the Cougars, he chased down players in fast breaks to post some ridiculous blocks that many cannot due. Again, he has a long wingspan, and he knows how to use it to his advantage.
How Can It Break Down?
I believe there are some question marks around how his playmaking abilities will translate to the NBA level. In his last season at Eastern Washington, he averaged 2.2 turnovers while posting just 1.7 assists per game. In his six games last year, it looked much better with a 3.7 to 2.2 assist to turnover ratio. Among those six games, just one came against a power conference school (Iowa). In the game against Iowa, he finished with nine points, eight rebounds, and two assists. His assist statistics were padded with his last game of the year against his old school, Eastern Washington, when he finished with seven assists. Overall, he'll most likely be just fine at the next level and he’ll continue to improve, but given his sample size in college it’s hard to gauge at this point.
What’s the Pathway?
Coward appeared in just six games for the Cougars last season before succumbing to a season-ending shoulder injury. In the overall view, we are judging his abilities off one stellar season at Eastern Washington, six games at Washington State against non-power conference competition, and now just the NBA Draft Combine. That doesn’t mean it’s not enough though. The talent is clearly there for him to emerge in the NBA as a strong 3-and-D wing in year one. Still, there’s room to improve. Here’s a couple of things that I would like to see Coward work on:
Playmaking – I want Coward to be able to be trusted to run an offense when needed. The playmaking that he showed in his six-game stint was impressive. He has a high basketball IQ, but I still get stuck on what he did in a full season with Eastern Washington. It showed there is still a lot of room for him to grow here and if he could be trusted as a guy to help break presses, run a offense when the point guard is out of the game, and even just be trusted with maintaining ball control, then we are talking about an NBA career that is poised to continue to ascend.
On-Ball Defense – Coward has the ability to take his defensive game to a new level if he could improve his on-ball defense. His 7’2 wingspan is a huge advantage and his quickness on his feet gives him the opportunity to rack up steals and create fast-break opportunities. This isn’t even a weakness for him right now, but I believe there is a lot of room for growth here which could elevate his career to an even higher level.
If you had asked me prior to the Combine if I thought Coward should stay in the draft or head to Duke next fall, I probably would’ve said Duke. However, he’s legitimately established himself as a first-round draft pick and maybe even top 20, and who knows…maybe even a lottery pick. Regardless, he’s going to end up being a steal. For some teams that are in rebuilding mode, if someone like Washington could sneak him out with the 18th pick on top of their sixth pick, Coward is the kind of player that puts you at the top of the post-draft grades for teams.