Utah Jazz Mailbag: What Development Is Key For Cody Williams?

SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to the Utah Jazz mailbag where this week we look at where Cody Williams’ skill set needs to improve most in year two.

Each week we will send out a prompt on X and BlueSky asking for the questions you have about the Jazz.

Then, we’ll respond to as many as we can in that week’s Jazz mailbag.

Jazz Mailbag; Where Does Cody Williams Need To Improve?

Question – AlexFromPGH on BlueSky: Other than gaining weight, what skill(s) should Cody focus on the most this off-season?

Answer: This is a good question because while much of Williams’ overall upside will be dependent on the development of his body, not all of that growth will come in one offseason, and even with a better frame, his skills were not good enough for an NBA player this season.

Quickly, regarding his frame, Jazz fans need to recognize that he still won’t be close to his prime physically next season when he returns to the floor.

He will have added muscle and weight, just as he has over the last 12 months since wrapping up his freshman season of college, but Williams might not even be halfway to his final physical goal.

 

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Comparing his body entering the draft to where it is today, it’s clear that he’s much bigger in his shoulders and arms, but still looks small compared to most other players in the league.

But, remember that Walker Kessler said he felt far stronger and more explosive entering his sophomore season than he did as a rookie, but those gains didn’t show up on the floor until year three.

So, Williams might go from having the most underdeveloped frame in the NBA in year one to a less underdeveloped frame in year two, but might not be particularly close to ready even with an offseason under his belt.

With that said, let’s look at the wing’s skill set and where he needs to take the biggest leap.

Even without NBA-caliber strength, Williams’s defensive positioning was solid in his rookie season, and is a place where any added strength with help him compete at a higher level.

No. 10 pick Cody Williams put together a complete performance in his #NBA2KSummerLeague debut!

21 PTS | 3 3PM | 4 AST pic.twitter.com/Xiu8bu19Zd

— NBA (@NBA) July 14, 2024

The same can be said for his ability to score at or near the basket, where he shot a shockingly low 39 percent on two-point shots this season.

Williams was a very talented scorer inside the paint in college (59 percent FG), even with his physical deficiencies, which leads me to believe he’s got some natural touch as he gets closer to the rim, and again, with added strength, should allow him to see more success in the coming seasons.

Related: Jazz Mailbag – How Different Is Drafting Third Vs. Fifth?

While there are several other areas where he could improve is effectiveness on the game, i.e., rebounding and passing, his three-point shooting stands above the rest.

After knocking down 41 percent of his threes in college, Williams shot just 26 percent from the three-point line as a rookie.

With Cody Williams rookie season ending, it’s hard to find many comps who made the NBA after having the same offensive inefficiencies in their first years.

Names that do stick out are Deuce McBride, Vince Williams, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Reggie Jackson.

Important summer ahead.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) April 2, 2025

Though his sample size (41 attempts) was low, his success rate was high enough to believe that the ability to develop a three-point shot existed.

Furthermore, while Williams both began and closed the season shooting poorly from three, he was far from a disaster for a good chunk of the year.

After returning from an extended stint in the G League, Williams shot a healthy 37 percent from three over his next 26 games on 2.5 attempts per game.

Again, though that’s a small sample size, it indicates that there are tools to work with.

this is a cody williams appreciation tweet 🫶 pic.twitter.com/I8eIJaZhXm

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 25, 2025

For comparison, Brice Sensabaugh (who shot 40 percent from three as a college freshman) shot 21 percent from the three-point line in his first 21 games in the NBA, before knocking down 38 percent of his attempts over his last 11 games. That left the rookie guard with an underwhelming three-point success rate of just 29 percent.

Now in his second season with the Jazz, Sensabaugh leads the team in three-point efficiency at 41 percent on an impressive five attempts per game.

That’s not to say that Williams should be expected to make a similar leap to Sensabaugh in year two, but that players can make tangible improvements in their shooting year over year, especially with a history of strong shooting dating back to college.

Ultimately, if Williams wants to justify earning playing time next season, improving his three-point shooting, even to the low-to-mid 30s is likely his quickest pathway as he waits for his body to improve.

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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky. 

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