2025-26 Season
CEDRIC COWARD
2025-26 Season
CEDRIC COWARD
Coward produces at an above average rate for a 26-minute workload.
Coward produces at an above average rate for a 26-minute workload.
PBP Credit: Every play is analyzed from play-by-play data. Scorers get difficulty-adjusted credit, assisters get creation value based on the shot opportunity they created, and turnovers are classified by type. Shot difficulty is derived from 1M+ shots across 4 seasons. Full methodology
TEAM COMPARISON
of 22 teammates (10+ games, 10+ min)
Similar Players
Same position, closest production profile this season.
SKILL DNA
Percentile rank vs 246 Guards with 10+ games
THE SEASON SO FAR
Cedric Coward’s first 21 games were defined by a classic NBA monkey's paw: he played so relentlessly as a bench sparkplug that he earned a starting job, which immediately broke his rhythm. He opened the year as an absolute flamethrower for the second unit. His early peak arrived on 10/25 vs IND, where he poured in 27 points on perfect 6-for-6 shooting from deep to generate a massive +30.3 Impact. Even when his jumper abandoned him, like his ugly 2-for-10 shooting night on 11/06 vs HOU, he still managed a +7.2 Impact by crashing the glass for nine rebounds and grinding out gritty defensive stops. That two-way hustle forced the coaching staff to move him into the starting five, but heavier minutes against premier defenders quickly drained his efficiency. The lowest point of this starting slump hit on 11/29 vs LAC. Forced into bad shot selection and swallowed up by the opposing starters, he managed just 7 points on 3-for-10 shooting to suffer a brutal -13.3 Impact. He is an elite energy guy masquerading as a core starter, and this stretch makes it obvious his highest value comes in short, chaotic bursts.
Cedric Coward’s midseason stretch was defined by maddening inconsistency, oscillating wildly between a dominant interior force and a careless perimeter chucker. When he committed to bullying opponents in the paint, he was an absolute wrecking ball. Look no further than 12/31 vs PHI, where he erupted for 28 points and 16 rebounds to generate a massive +28.7 Impact. That night, his relentless work on the glass and highly efficient 10-of-16 shooting made him practically unstoppable. But when he settled for outside jumpers, his value plummeted just as quickly. On 12/03 vs SAS, Coward forced terrible shots, going 0-for-5 from deep with zero assists to finish with a brutal -12.9 Impact. Even when his scoring numbers looked respectable, a refusal to do the dirty work could easily erase his offensive contributions. Despite dropping an above-average 17 points on 01/15 vs ORL, he posted a sluggish -0.4 Impact because he grabbed a measly three rebounds and offered virtually zero playmaking.
Cedric Coward's mid-season stretch was a tale of two extremes, shifting violently from a miserable winter slump to an explosive spring awakening. Early on, he was putting up empty calories and jacking up bad shots that actively hurt the team. Look at the 03/07 vs LAC matchup, where he managed 15 points but posted a dismal -5.2 Impact because he bricked six of his eight three-point attempts and stalled the offense. Just three days later, he flipped the script entirely during the 03/10 vs PHI game. Despite a modest 13 points, he registered a massive +9.5 Impact by ripping down 16 rebounds and doing the dirty work on the glass to generate extra possessions. That gritty performance seemed to unlock his confidence. By the time the 04/08 vs DEN game rolled around, Coward was an absolute wrecking ball, pouring in 27 points on blazing 10-for-17 shooting to earn a staggering +27.7 Impact. He finally figured out how to blend relentless hustle with lethal, efficient shot selection.
IMPACT TIMELINE
Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.
Volatile for his role. Coward has noticeable ups and downs, with scoring moving ~5 points between games.
Middle-of-the-road efficiency — shoots 45%+ from the field in 61% of games. Not automatic, but not a problem either.
Defensive difference-maker. Coward consistently forces tough shots and protects the rim — opponents shoot worse when he's guarding them.
Small downward trend. First-half impact: +5.0, second-half: +3.1. Not alarming yet, but trending the wrong direction.
Tends to go on runs. Longest hot streak: 7 games. Longest cold streak: 4 games.
MATCHUP HISTORY ⚠ Updated 46 days ago
Based on 68 games with tracking data. Shows who guarded this player on offense and who he guarded on defense, with their shooting stats in those matchups.
ON OFFENSE: WHO GUARDED HIM
His shooting stats against each primary defender this season
ON DEFENSE: WHO HE GUARDED
How opponents shot when he was the primary defender. Lower FG% = better defense.
SEASON STATS
GAME LOG
62 games played
