{"id":177994,"date":"2026-02-17T11:40:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:40:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=177994"},"modified":"2026-02-17T11:40:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:40:01","slug":"breaking-down-grizzlies-best-all-star-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/02\/17\/breaking-down-grizzlies-best-all-star-candidates\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Down Grizzlies\u2019 Best All-Star Candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NBA All-Star weekend has passed, and the Memphis Grizzlies were represented in the Rising Stars Challenge. Second-year players Jaylen Wells<\/a> and Cam Spencer<\/a> took part, while rookie Cedric Coward<\/a> missed it due to injury. Now, pinpointing the Grizzlies’ best All-Star candidates becomes the forefront of the franchise.<\/p>\n

Projecting future All-Stars is never just about talent. Opportunity, role, health, and development curves matter just as much as raw ability. For the Grizzlies, that conversation carries added intrigue as the roster continues to evolve through youth movement, injuries, and shifting priorities.<\/p>\n

While Memphis may not have boasted an All-Star this season, several players have positioned themselves within striking distance of that trajectory. The Grizzlies’ best All-Star candidates appear to be recent successful draft selections. Here’s a closer look at who they are.<\/p>\n

Breaking Down the Grizzlies\u2019 Best All-Star Candidates<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Cedric Coward Represents the Grizzlies’ Best All-Star Candidate<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What separates Coward from typical breakout candidates is the completeness of his impact. He doesn\u2019t rely on one-dimensional scoring bursts. He influences games across multiple categories, including perimeter defense, shot creation, and rebounding. The coaching staff trusts him because his contributions don’t disrupt team structure, and that trust matters in All-Star projections.<\/p>\n

Coward\u2019s statistical growth aligns with visible on-court confidence. He attacks mismatches decisively, reads defensive coverages with maturity, and consistently delivers within high-leverage possessions. Also, his defensive versatility allows Memphis to deploy flexible lineups. His production and mentality gave the Grizzlies the confidence trigger a rebuild when things didn’t pan out with their former stars<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, Coward\u2019s trajectory feels sustainable. When thinking of the Grizzlies’ best All-Star candidates, no player symbolizes that more than Coward. He is currently top five in rookie scoring (13.3) and rebounds (6.2) per game. If Coward continues expanding his offensive assertiveness while maintaining defensive reliability, his All-Star case could accelerate quickly. Among Memphis\u2019 developing core, he holds the clearest path to an invite to the All-Star Game.<\/p>\n

Zach Edey is a Promising Choice<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Zach Edey<\/a>\u2019s All-Star outlook sits in a different category as an ankle injury derailed his sophomore season. However, his brief time on the court this season was Memphis’ best stretch. Edey\u2019s presence alone alters Memphis\u2019 identity. His size, rebounding dominance, and interior efficiency give the Grizzlies advantages only a few teams can replicate. Opponents must game-plan around him, which is a foundational trait of high-impact players.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Jan 9, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) collects a rebound during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In only ten games of real playing time, Edey averaged 14.8 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks on 62.8% shooting. His improvement on both ends of the court figures to carry over when he gets healthy. All-Star recognition for Edey likely depends on team success as well, due to a lower scoring output. His impact this season (7-3 record in the lineup) proves he is one of the Grizzlies’ best All-Star candidates.<\/p>\n

GG Jackson is an Honorable Mention with High Upside<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In his third season, GG Jackson<\/a> is still the youngest player on the Grizzlies’ roster at 21 years old. He also remains the most volatile and intriguing name in this discussion. His flashes showcase<\/a> an undeniable All-Star trait as few young players possess his combination of length, skill, and offensive creativity.<\/p>\n

However, consistency remains the separator. Consistency in his playing time and production when he is given an extended run. Jackson\u2019s path toward All-Star consideration hinges on offensive efficiency, defensive engagement, and decision-making under pressure. He is a long shot, but the raw ingredients exist in the search for the Grizzlies’ best All-Star candidates.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The NBA All-Star weekend has passed, and the Memphis Grizzlies were represented in the Rising Stars Challenge. Second-year players Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer took part, while rookie Cedric Coward missed it due to injury. Now, pinpointing the Grizzlies’ best All-Star candidates becomes the forefront of the franchise. Projecting future All-Stars is never just about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5763,"featured_media":178048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,32,62],"tags":[49961,50017,49943,49556,639,4741],"class_list":["post-177994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-grizzlies","category-nba","tag-cam-spencer","tag-cedric-coward","tag-gg-jackson-ii","tag-jaylen-wells","tag-nba-all-star","tag-zach-edey"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5763"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177994"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177994\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":178049,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177994\/revisions\/178049"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}