Each day until the 2025 NBA Draft, Pippen Ain't Easy will profile one prospect who makes sense as a fit for the Bulls in either the first or second round. These players could fill a need, such as on-ball defense or rim protection, or could fit an archetype that Chicago lacks on its current roster, like an athletic big man or 3-and-D wing.
Who is Cedric Coward? Coward hails from Fresno, California. He began his collegiate career as an unheralded recruit. Coward originally enrolled at Division III Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, before transferring and spending his sophomore and junior seasons at Eastern Washington. Coward transferred again, this time to Washington State prior to his senior season. Unfortunately, the forward only appeared in six games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in practice.
Coward averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 2.0 three-pointers in six contests suiting up for the Cougars. However, his terrific six-game stretch didn't come against the best competition. The only High Major program Coward faced was Iowa. Against the Hawkeyes, Coward scored nine points, going 3-of-10 from the floor, and snatched eight rebounds.
Still, despite limited production, the Duke Blue Devils sought to poach Coward from the transfer portal and succeeded. The 21-year-old guard verbally committed to Duke in late April. Along with committing to the Blue Devils, Coward also decided to test the NBA Draft waters.
Cedric Coward's scouting report
Testing the waters proved to be the right move for Coward. After an impressive NBA Combine, in which he didn't participate in any scrimmages, he saw his draft stock soar, ultimately keeping his name in the draft and foregoing the opportunity to play for Jon Scheyer at Duke. From a Division III product to a future lottery pick, we'll dissect what makes Coward the greatest enigma in the NBA Draft.
First, we'll dive straight into Coward's awe-inspiring combine. Coward measured a tick over 6-foot-5, an okay figure for a wing. What's astonishing is his 7-foot-2 wingspan. The 21-year-old's wingspan measured the 11th longest amongst combine participants, notably longer than big men such as Asa Newell, Collin Murray-Boyles, Derik Queen, and Maxime Raynaud.
Besides his unbelievable measurements, Coward displayed tremendous physical gifts in athletic testing. He recorded the fourth-best standing vertical (32.5 inches) and the sixth-best max vertical (38.5 inches). The former Cougars' lateral quickness didn't necessarily stand out, but his straight-line speed, measured by the three-quarter sprint, ranked fourth (3.06 seconds) among participants.
Offense
In the shooting portion of the NBA Combine, Coward ranked among the best—a common theme of his combine performance. The California-native knocked down the third-most off-the-dribble looks (23-of-30), second-most spot-up triples (18-of-25), and the third-most in the three-point star drill (17-of-25).
Coward is a three-level scorer who shot 59.5 percent from the floor, 38.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.2 percent from the free throw across three Division I collegiate seasons. Beginning with his jumpshot, he's been unexpectedly accurate. Coward drilled 12-of-30 triples this past season and 51-of-133 as a junior at Eastern Washington.
There's some Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant to Coward's jumper. His base is relatively narrow, with his right foot slightly in front. He doesn't always elevate super high, but does so when necessary. However, the best part of Coward's jumpshot is arguably his release. It's extremely smooth, and he holds his follow-through beautifully.
Per Floor and Ceiling, Coward drilled 50.3 percent of his open and 34.2 percent of his defended three-pointers in his previous two seasons. The 21-year-old is a confident marksman who doesn't hesitate. He's an ideal catch-and-shoot player.
Nevertheless, that's not where Coward's shooting proficiency ends. He's a skilled off-the-dribble scorer. The 6-foot-5 wing's handles aren't overly complicated—he limits his dribbles to a few. His best off-the-dribble move is his snatch-back jumper, where he uses an abrupt stop while driving to freeze his defender to rise for a fallaway jumper.
Coward's propensity to put the ball in the basket doesn't stop with spot-ups and off-the-dribble buckets. The forward is a talented post-player despite standing 6-foot-5. He excels at shooting post fadeaways and even mixes in post-hooks and step-through moves. Over 20 percent of Coward's shot attempts came via post-ups.
Scoring comes easily for the 21-year-old. The same cannot be said of playmaking. Coward is, by no means, an inadequate creator; he averaged 3.7 assists per game. However, he totaled only 1.7 assists per contest at Eastern Washington. Coward has improved as a playmaker, but he's not flashy. His handle isn't crafty, and he doesn't wow with his passes. What he does do is make the right play. He makes smart decisions when drawing defenders and does a nice job identifying the open man, whether posting up or roaming the perimeter.
Defense
As for defense, Coward is lanky, athletic, and he hustles—end of story. Just kidding, we'll elaborate on what makes Coward such an intriguing defensive chess piece. The forward is capable of defending positions one through four. He's quick enough to hang with guards and long enough to alter power forwards' shots around the rim.
Coward tallied 10 blocks in six contests a season ago and averaged 0.8 at Eastern Washington. His long limbs allow him to easily contest shots. Shooting over Coward is no easy task. At times, it doesn't even seem he's going for a block on a perimeter shot; his arms are just so long that he routinely gets pieces of his opponents' shots. Possessing a 7-foot-2 wingspan, paired with a 38-inch max vertical, Coward is a compelling helpside defender. He practices terrific verticality.
The 21-year-old understands positioning well and stays attuned when off-ball. Through three seasons playing Division I, Coward racked up 64 steals, 0.9 per contest. Many of his steals came via intercepting passes. It's fair to say Coward gambles at times, which can lead to backcuts and making himself out of position, but it's not so often that it's worrisome.
Going against mid-major opponents, Coward's on-ball defense appeared to be no concern. But going back to his so-so performances in lateral quickness drills, there's some cause for concern about how well he'll be able to defend NBA-caliber guards.
He fared well defending on-ball at Eastern Washington and in a limited run at Washington State. He moves his feet well, and as a feisty shot-blocker, he does a fantastic job making up ground to reject his opposition's dunk and layup attempts. Still, he'll likely be more impactful off-ball in his NBA career.
Cedric Coward's fit with the Chicago Bulls
As a strong spot-up scorer and versatile defender, Coward's fit in Chicago is easy to picture on the wing. His strengths pair well with last year's 11th overall pick, Matas Buzelis' weaknesses. Coward would operate more as a jump shooter, while Buzelis excels as a driver and transition threat.
Defensively, both wings are talented shot-blockers, giving the Bulls arguably the best shot-blocking forward duo in the NBA if Chicago drafts Coward. Moreover, Coward would be primed to take on the opponents' best two-guard or wing. Although he's not a defensive ace at this stage in his development, he's better on-ball than a handful of Bulls.
Chicago requires a well-versed wing to slot alongside Buzelis. After whiffing on Patrick Williams and mistakenly re-signing him to a five-year pact, the Bulls will be stuck with the former fourth-overall pick for years to come. However, even though he's earning $18 million per season, Billy Donovan moved Williams to a bench role, opening a starting position at small forward.
Kevin Huerter filled Williams' void post-trade deadline. But with only a year remaining on his contract, Huerter isn't a long-term solution. Furthermore, he's a catch-and-shoot specialist who doesn't add much value defensively. Coward brings the best of both worlds—a non-negotiable for a team lacking two-way players.
For more prospect profiles and all things draft-related, check out Pippen Ain't Easy'sChicago Bulls draft page. A new prospect's scouting report will be added daily.