There was plenty to be excited about last night with the Utah Jazz. Ace Bailey looked fantastic, and Brice Sensabaugh looked like a cornerstone in the making. That bodes well for what’s to come this season, but one Jazz kid who didn’t look good last night was Cody Williams.
Williams, who is coming off a pretty disappointing rookie season, finished with two points (which came on an open dunk) while shooting one-of-five from the field with a plus-minus of minus-10. The only jazz player worse in that regard was Walter Clayton Jr.. His lack of presence felt familiar, and it didn’t go unnoticed.
One downside to tonight’s game is that Cody Williams is still really struggling… I can’t say his scrimmage performance was promising either.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 9, 2025
This is a troubling sign to see Williams show nothing, as that epitomizes why his rookie year was so disastrous. Even when he was on the field, he did nothing. Now, not everyone from the Jazz youth movement would stand out, but Williams didn’t necessarily have to dominate in the same way that Bailey and Sensabaugh did.
All he had to do was make his presence known, but he didn’t. The task for him this season was to prove he has some NBA qualities, and last night was about as bad as it could get for him.
It’s only one game, but Williams can’t repeat that performance again
If you add this to this idea, it’s just the preseason, the one part of the NBA season that shouldn’t be taken seriously at all, other than the players doing everything they can to get a spot on the roster. However, Utah will focus on which of its players are worth keeping long-term, meaning they will keep an eye on Williams.
He may have the biggest mountain to climb because of how little he showed in his rookie year. There’s a good chance he won’t be a starter this season unless he blossoms, and he hasn’t given any indication that that will happen from here on out.
If he wants to stick around, he’ll have to show he’s the player the Jazz envisioned him to be like when they drafted him last year. The idea of what Williams can be is very exciting. Expecting him to be a star is a stretch and probably shouldn’t be the bar, but the potential is there that he could be a useful rotation cog if he figures it out.
The problem is that last night fueled the narrative that he may never find out. If it happens again, it may be downright impossible to be optimistic about him.
#Jazz #youngster #preseason #debut