Jazz Insider Lays Out Bold Expectations for Cody Williams in Year One

The Utah Jazz rookie could be gearing up for a massive debut season.

Mar 21, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Cody Williams (10) looks on during the NCAA tournament practice day at Gainbridge FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

The Utah Jazz managed to walk out of this summer's NBA Draft with a significantly impressive haul of new young talent, taking home a group headlined by Cody Williams, along with Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski later down the board.

It's three rookies that instantly stand out as one of the better collections of prospects within this year's draft, the big prize being the Jazz's 10th-overall pick in Cody Williams. The lengthy 6-foot-6 wing is an athletic two-way threat at the NBA level with a strong ability to defend, drive to the rim, and shoot the ball effectively-- inevitably landing as a player that gets good minutes Utah off the rip.

NBA insider Tony Jones of The Athletic recently sounded off on ESPN 700 on how Williams's first year in the league could look with the Jazz, and he didn't hold back his praise for the Colorado product. Jones sees a guy who instantly join the rotation as a day-one contributor, and a player who could gather up to 20 minutes a game in Utah's effort to develop their young talent:

"Cody Williams, from what I saw in Summer League, I wouldn't have him in the G-League. I think his issues aren't skill-based, I think his issues are body-based. He has to get his body to where it needs to be, but skill-wise, I think he's ready to play in the NBA right off the bat. If I were the Jazz, I would be finding 15 to 20 minutes a game for Cody Williams from day one."

- Tony Jones, via ESPN 700

By starting with real NBA minutes as opposed to G-League minutes, it would be a different outcome than what the Jazz's previous lottery pick Taylor Hendricks saw to start his career in 2023.

Williams has the opportunity to be an impact player on the wing to help mitigate this roster's defensive issues from last season, and can also be an effective scorer thanks to his size and versatility. It's the route that Utah's 16th-overall pick from 2023, Keyonte George, took to start his first year in the league, immediately becoming a prominent figure in this backcourt from the jump.

Considering the Jazz are expected to lean heavier into their youth movement this season than they have the past two years, the decision to play Williams big minutes would likely be welcomed for the ultimate goal of this team-- that being to draft and develop young talent.

Whether it be as a starter or key bench player, Williams is gearing up to build off of a successful Summer League campaign and roll into the regular season as a contributor on the wing for a young Jazz team. If his performance from a couple of weeks ago in Las Vegas is any indicator of what to expect in his rookie year, Utah may have scored yet another strong building block in their franchise rebuild.

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