The Jazz are battling between a ‘future-focused’ rebuilding team, and a team trying to become competitive quickly. Cody Williams’ rookie season should help both efforts, although the situation may cause him to lean one way more than the other. Let’s take a look at Williams’ rookie preview for the upcoming season.
NBA Rookie Preview: Cody Williams
Prospect Profile
Williams was the number seven overall player in the class of 2023. He signed with the Colorado Buffaloes and became a one-and-done player. Williams finished his freshman season averaging 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Williams is an intriguing wing prospect who started the season hot but ended up missing 13 games total due to various injuries. An ankle injury causing him to miss the final four regular season games before the postseason was the most frustrating.
Even still, Williams showed that he could be a jack-of-all-trades in his lone year with the Buffaloes. He’s also the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder rising star Jalen Williams. Young wings with the production and upside that Williams has flashed are always intriguing prospects to NBA teams. Williams has great length on the wing measuring 6-foot-6.5 without shoes and a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He combines this length with solid athleticism and skill for his age. While he won’t blow you away in any one area, he does produce in nearly every facet of basketball. This Swiss army knife approach has made him an intriguing prospect.
Williams rose to number one pick conversations before a rough backend of the season leveled out his stock as an NBA draft prospect. Scouts were disappointed by his affinity for mediocre performances as he never truly exploded or took over a game. This caused some concerns about how high his upside actually is, specifically in the self-creation department. He may be more of a complimentary piece rather than someone that’s ever counted on for consistent scoring production. However, given his pedigree and already honed skillset, only time will tell.
Team Fit
This is where Williams’ rookie preview becomes interesting. The Jazz have an intriguing decision to make with Williams. From a skill perspective, I think he’s NBA-ready in terms of being a complementary wing on both ends. Throughout the draft process, Williams’ high-end comparison was frequently likened to Jaden McDaniels of the Timberwolves. This is someone who defends well using great length but is also complimentary on offense with solid slashing and shooting. However, Williams is still a rookie and can stand to grow physically while getting used to the NBA game.
The Jazz will have to decide on two questions. First, how competitive are they looking to be this season? With budding star Lauri Markannen’s contract extension, one would assume they at least try to push for the play-in/playoffs. Once that’s answered, how does Williams’ development track fit into that decision? If they are looking for more immediate competitiveness, more experienced players will benefit in playing time. These are players like Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, Walker Kessler, and Patty Mills.
Two Jazz sophomores also make deciphering this decision even more difficult. Last year, the Jazz took forward Taylor Hendricks ninth overall, and guard Keyonte George at 16. While George would play 75 games and start in 44, Hendricks started his career in the G-league. Before the trade deadline, Hendricks only played 13 games at the NBA level and would finish the season with 40 games total. Which approach will the Jazz take with Williams? I think Williams is more polished than Hendricks was given their age, and the Jazz are in need of wing depth.
Predictions
As shown above, the development path or opportunity Williams’ is given will play a major role in any accolades he hopes to achieve. I think second-team All-Rookie may be his ceiling though. Even if the Jazz commit to giving him meaningful minutes, it will probably be in a support role. He’s not going to be a lead guard or shot-creator similar to George’s rookie season, and his game isn’t flashy. While he’s polished for his age, nobody would argue that Williams still has plenty of room to improve. Target areas that will be watched closely are development in his ball-handling, physique/physicality, and perimeter shooting.
However, with time I think Williams can develop into the two-way wing that every NBA team is looking for.
