We're reaching a pivotal moment for the third-year Jazzman. Can Cody Williams make a statement?
It's not Cody Williams' fault that he was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft class. It's a pool of players that we all knew was well below the standard even at the time of the draft, and frankly, the Utah Jazz couldn't have been expected to do much better than Williams, a big-swing type of prospect who was just as likely to bust as he was to boom -- we've seen a little bit of both in his young career.
Looking back at that class is a haunting experience, with only a handful of players passing through their second NBA seasons as confirmed success stories. Stephon Castle just played a critical role alongside Victor Wembanyama and the NBA runner-up San Antonio Spurs, arguably appearing to be the franchise's third best player behind the already mentioned freak of nature and Dylan Harper. Some could argue he's better than Harper.
He was the fourth overall pick and the Rookie of the Year.
Alex Sarr has been decent with the Washington Wizards and their sprouting core of youngsters. A solid defender and outside threat (to an extent), Sarr will likely assume the starting center role besides Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and AJ Dybantsa.
He was the second overall pick.
It goes very downhill from there. Just take a quick scan through the draft results and remind yourself of who many considered to be the best players available.
Risacher came off the board first overall, and the Atlanta Hawks have already given up on him. Reed Sheppard, the third overall selection, struggles to find consistent minutes in Houston.
Ron Holland was a no-show in the Pistons' playoff run. Tidjane Salaun and Rob Dillingham are rare sightings on a basketball floor these days -- as is Zach Edey, but primarily because he spends most of his time on the injury report.
Of the players in this class to actually meet expectations for their draft position, the pickings are hauntingly slim. Donovan Clingan, Matas Buzelis, Bub Carrington, Jared McCain, Kyshawn George, Terrance Shannon, and Isaiah Collier basically make up the list of first-round successes, and all but a select few of those prospects have carved out role player positions on their respective teams.
And that leaves Cody Williams, a player who put up admirable stat lines in the Summer League despite appearing relatively pedestrian alongside G-League. Unfairly compared to his brother, a star with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and insincerely compared to 10th overall picks of the average draft class, his poor shooting, tendency to disappear on the court, and uneven output makes him one of the more disappointing selections in recent draft memory for Utah.
But it's time we stop treating Williams like a 10th overall pick -- truthfully, he wouldn't be under normal circumstances.
