There was plenty to be excited about from the Utah Jazz last night. Ace Bailey looked stupendous, and Brice Sensabaugh looked like a cornerstone in the making. That bodes well for what's to come this season, but one Jazz youngster who did not look good last night was Cody Williams.
Williams, who is coming off a pretty underwhelming rookie season, finished with two points (which came from an open dunk) while shooting one-for-five from the field to go with a plus-minus of minus-10. The only Jazz player who was worse in that department was Walter Clayton Jr. His lack of presence felt familiar, and it did not go unnoticed.
One downside of 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
Thiis is a troubling sign to see Williams not show anything because that epitomizes why his rookie year was so disastrous. Even when he was on the court, he did nothing. Now, not everyone featured in the Jazz's youth movement was going to stand out, but Williams didn't necessarily have to dominate in the same way Bailey and Sensabaugh did.
All he had to do was make his presence known, and he didn't do it. The task for him this season was to prove that he has some NBA qualities, and last night was about as bad as it got for him.
It's only one game, but Williams can't repeat that performance again
Adding to this notion, it's only preseason, the one part of the NBA season that should not be taken seriously at all, save it be the players who are doing everything in their power just to get a spot on the roster. However, Utah will focus on which of its players are worth keeping around long-term, which means they will keep their eye on Williams.
He has perhaps the biggest mountain to climb because of how little he showed his rookie year. Odds are, he's not going to be a starter this season unless he blossoms, which he hasn't given any indication will happen as of now.
If he wants to stick around, he will have to show that he is the player the Jazz envisioned him as 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 for him to be a useful rotation cog if he figures it out.
The problem is, last night fueled the narrative that he may never figure himself out. If it happens again, it may be downright impossible to be optimistic about him.