The Memphis Grizzlies draft picks received a warm welcome to the Bluff City on Friday as first-round lottery pick Cedric Coward and second-rounders Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack made the rounds at FedExForum.
At the end of last season, Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman made it clear that Memphis needed more ‘dogs’ on the roster, and that’s exactly what the front office achieved in this year’s NBA Draft.
” I know what got me here, and I know what works as far as winning, and I know that being a dog is number one on that list,” said 59th pick in the NBA Draft Jahmai Mashack
” Our job is to continue to do that and elevate upon that, so now instead of you calling us dogs, we’re the Memphis Grizzlies 2025 Draft class,” said lottery pick Cedric Coward.
For the 11th overall pick, Cedric Coward, whose collegiate journey began at the Division III level at Williamette University, he then spent two seasons at Eastern Washington before transferring to Washington State last season, where he only played in six games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Coward says no one could’ve scripted he couldn’t have scripted his story, but as much work as it’s taken to get here, the grind starts now.
“Ive got tons to get better at. I just want to be a sponge and really soak up as much information and developmental skills to make my game as good as possible to help the team win. Honestly, when it comes to staying, that’s the hardest part. That’s why I say I only achieved half my goal with being drafted. The other half is staying here, but making a meaningful impact on not only the team, but even the city. The city begs for a winner. We all care about winning, and that’s all that really matters”, said Coward.
The 48th overall pick, Javon Small, also took an unconventional path to the NBA after playing his first two seasons at East Carolina, then one season at Oklahoma State before transferring to West Virginia, where he averaged 18.6 points, four rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in his senior season with the Mountaineers.
“Playing with that chip on your shoulder, me personally, I’ve never really been picked first, second, probably not even third. So I always kind of feel like I got something to prove on the court and, if I got to show a little bit of emotion on the court sometimes or yell in somebody’s face or get a little rowdy and hype myself to get in that dog mode, then that’s what I’ll do,” said Small.
And then, game the very last pick of the draft, when the Grizzlies selected former Tennessee Volunteer Jahmai Mashack, who finished his career as one of the all-time winningest players on Rocky Top and one of the nation’s top defenders
“They’ve already called me ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ because I was the last pick of the draft, but I love it, man. That’s what creates my passion, and that’s what creates my drive. And I just love when people feel like I can’t do something, and I go out and do it anyway. And I keep on proving them wrong and wrong and proving myself right. If you ask a lot of people who know me and have seen my journey at Tennessee, they have no doubt in their mind that I’m going to do whatever I can to be successful and be the winner that I know I can be,” said Mashack.
The Memphis Grizzlies will begin play in the NBA Summer League on July 5th in Salt Lake City.
