It becomes painfully clear how Jazz sees Cody Williams in the long term

Ladies and gentlemen, the Cody Williams hype train is underway again! The Utah Jazz recently gave Williams a bigger role by starting him. The results were a bit mixed, but it’s better for Cody Williams to be a mixed bag than for Cody Williams to do nothing at all. During his most recent stint, the Jazz have used Williams to be what they believe he does best: be a two-way wing.

The Jazz won’t rely on Williams to be a top scorer for them, especially since they cover that area. Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen are powerful enough. Instead, they want him to be a complementary piece on offense and a shutdown wing on defense.

Offensively, Williams still has some work to do as a shooter, but given his overall progress as a player and his youth, Utah has reason to be patient with him. The way the team has figured out how to make him useful in this regard is to use him as a cutter. Williams’ size and athleticism make him quite difficult to stop when he drives to the basket, whether leading or finishing the play.

It helps that he plays alongside attacking personnel who demand the defense’s attention, making his life easier in that regard. If Williams can make a reliable three-ball down the line, he will become an indispensable part of the Jazz’s future.

That only becomes clearer when you realize how they defend him.

Utah has given Williams the toughest defensive coverage

The Williams frame gives him all the tools to be a shutdown defender. Whether he becomes one or not is still up in the air, but Utah has already shown he has the team’s confidence to go against the other team’s best scorer. Look no further than their impressive comeback win over the Minnesota Timberwolves last night.

The Jazz drafted Williams over Anthony Edwards, one of the best players in the league. At first glance, it may seem like Williams didn’t fare well against Edwards, who hung 14 points on Williams (Minnesota scored 24 points when Williams guarded him) and shot five-of-nine from the field, including two 3-pointers. according to NBA.com.

However, watching the game film tells a different story. Yes, Edwards was able to score on Williams, but the latter made things as awkward as possible for the Timberwolves star.

Edwards’ numbers reflect the fact that he is so good more than anything else. The fact is that Williams made him earn those points. Another fact is that Utah made Williams Edwards’ main defender in a game they won, so they clearly did something right.

And that outlines where things are going for Williams. He may not be a star in the making (never say never), but he’s trying to figure himself out and Utah has put him in a place where he can succeed. The Jazz have already covered a few of their bases, and if Williams continues to rise like this with more time, they will have even more covered.