Klay Thompson. He has been the guy. The only Washington State basketball player in the 21st century to truly make his mark in the NBA. But years have passed, Father Time is taking his toll, and now there’s a new star.
Cedric Coward is a new name in the NBA. Drafted No. 11 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers but later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, Coward came out of WSU. Although ESPN may not have known who he was, mistakenly calling him sports analyst Colin Cowherd, he has made a real name for himself in the league. And while he did not play many games for the Cougars, he could end up being the next WSU star in the NBA.
The thing that really marks this change in the NBA is a metric that is questionable yet still popular in the basketball world: NBA 2K player ratings. The video game franchise has been the most popular basketball video game for more than a decade. In the game’s normal modes, real-life players are given ratings that reflect their performance on the court.
But why does that matter? Thompson has been the face of Cougar basketball for almost two decades. What can Coward really do to change that? With low expectations coming into the season, Coward has broken out early as a powerful rookie presence with an all-around game.
His reward for that effort: jumping from a 72 rating in the game to an 80 overall. While 80 doesn’t sound spectacular, with the game’s highest-rated players such as Michael Jordan reaching 98 or 99, Coward’s jump is the largest in the game’s history. With that boost, he now holds the highest overall rating of any former WSU player in the modern NBA.
Since Thompson was drafted, he has always been the highest-rated Cougar in the game. It helped that he has been one of the best 3-point shooters ever, changing basketball alongside teammate Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors. But as time has gone on, his athleticism and production have declined, and he now sits at 78 overall in the game.
While it’s just a 2K rating, it symbolizes a shift in the league as new WSU stars make their mark. In 2024, the Grizzlies also drafted another Cougar, Jaylen Wells, who sits third among WSU players in 2K ratings at 76 overall.
Both Coward and Wells could be dominant forces in the NBA. Coward is an all-around scoring threat and solid defender. Wells, recovering from a serious injury last season, has shown promise as a 3-and-D player when healthy.
The ceiling for both players could rival Thompson’s level as an all-time great. Coward has shown plenty of promise this season and currently ranks No. 2 in the Rookie of the Year race, behind Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets.
Coward is averaging 14.8 points per game this season and has been one of the leading scorers for the Grizzlies. The “Memphis Cougars,” as some fans have called them, sit at 4-8, but there is plenty of potential for the young duo.
Looking ahead, it is unlikely Thompson will return to his prime form. “Killa Klay” has already left a Hall of Fame legacy behind him, but the door is wide open for Coward and Wells to take the spotlight for Cougar basketball.
Both Coward and Wells have the potential to be great. The true test will be whether they can reach the heights of the “Splash Brother.” They might not do it immediately, but the two young stars have their careers ahead of them to dominate and to show the league that Washington State can still produce elite basketball talent.