There will be several exciting plotlines ahead for the Utah Jazz and their Summer League team. While many will look forward to seeing Ace Bailey in his first basketball game since the Jazz drafted him, there are other subplots worth monitoring. Chief among them is the performance of Cody Williams as he approaches Year 2.
It came as no surprise that Williams was on the Summer League roster, as that's what's to be expected in players who are about to approach their second NBA season. However, in Williams' case, the early returns from his rookie season were nothing short of flat-out disastrous.
Even though Utah gave him plenty of opportunities, Williams didn't reward the team for tis faith in him. In 50 appearances (21 of which were starts), he averaged 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 32.3% from the field and 25.9% from three. Those are numbers that are inarguably terrible from someone who came in as Utah's prized rookie.
Making it look worse is that he's Jalen Williams' younger brother, who played a huge role in the Oklahoma City Thunder winning their first-ever NBA title. Many had hoped that perhaps Cody would be at least as NBA-ready as his older brother was when he entered the NBA, but he showed he was far from it.
That's why Summer League is the perfect chance for Cody to prove that as bad as last year was, he truly belongs in the NBA. The Jazz picked him at No. 10 last year knowing that he would be a long-term project, and while it appears he may take longer than they thought then they picked him, this is the first step for the former lottery pick to show they didn't waste a lottery pick on him.
Cody Williams' first priority is showing he fits with his teammates
No one should expect Williams to light the world on fire in the Jazz Summer League - though that would be nice - but what could be quite encouraging is seeing if he fits well next to his Jazz teammates.
There will actually be plenty of notable names on the Jazz's Summer League roster besides Bailey and Williams, as the list includes Isaiah Collier, Kyle Fillipowski, Walter Clayton Jr., Brice Sensabaigh, and Jaden Springer, all of whom could be Williams' teammates when his sophomore season starts.
It may be expecting too much to believe he will look like a star at Summer League, but if Williams shows both he and his teammates can make each other better, that would be a good first step towards building a legitimate path to sticking around in the NBA.
In last year's Las Vegas Summer League, Williams averaged 15 points, three rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 54.8% from the field and 37.5% from three. If he can top those numbers in Salt Lake and Las Vegas while showing how well he fits with the Jazz's youth movement, then there could very well be hope for the No. 10 pick.