Bleacher Report Predicts Cody Williams's First Year Role With Jazz

The Utah Jazz rookie forward could have a lot on his plate in year one.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Cody Williams poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Utah Jazz in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Utah Jazz managed to walk out of this year's draft class with a collection of appealing prospects, but the one name that sticks out amongst their new group is 10th-overall pick Cody Williams.

Measuring 6-foot-6 with an elite 7-foot-1 wingspan, Williams enters the fold in Utah as a modern two-way wing with ideal length and size, now holding a chance to hone into a strong rotational piece for the Jazz.

However, while there is potential for Williams to become a top-end two-way talent soon, rookie expectations may be a bit tempered as the Colorado forward gets adjusted to the league. Opportunities will be limited, and at just 19 years old with limited college experience, there remains a lot of room for him to grow.

Predictions have remained varied for the Jazz's rookie, but Bleacher Report recently released some projections for this year's rookies, and dished out to give a fair assessment for Williams.

When filing through this set of NBA rookies for the 2024 season, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman predicts Cody Williams to be primarily a "bench off-ball scorer" for the Jazz, with the ability to be a dynamic addition to the offense of the second unit:

"At the moment, Cody Williams appears to be a second-unit option with Taylor Hendricks presumably ahead on the depth chart... He struggled from three in summer league, and it wouldn't be surprising to learn that his 41.5 percent mark at Colorado was somewhat fluky. But with the ability to initiate fast breaks, slash and finish using signature length/touch, cut for easy baskets, make just enough open shots and guard opposing wings, Williams should still be able to impact games in various ways on low usage."

- Jonathan Wasserman, B/R

Williams still has a ways to go physically, along with furthering along his development to be a more dynamic scorer at the NBA level, but with his current production, he'll still have some notable impact to provide for the Jazz.

Most notably, the defensive upside is a skillset that the Jazz could benefit immensely from, as they consistently struggled on that end of the floor during their last campaign, specifically on the wing due to their lack of positive defenders at the position. Now, Williams can enter the fold to be a worthwhile assist to Utah's defense, which was ranked dead last in the NBA for 2023.

Williams is also a solid scorer as a complimentary piece to the offense. His on-ball creation still has a ways to go, but as Wasserman noted, his ability as a finisher and rim-cutter will be able to give this unit solid open looks, and a jump shot with some optimism can make him a threat to stretch the floor as well.

It won't be an overnight process for Williams to climb to the top, but there's a path to being a key contributor for Utah, even in his first year pro.

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