Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of Cody Williams' rookie season prematurely ending due to mono. When it did, no one who was paying attention was encouraged by what they saw from Williams. As the No. 10 pick, not only was he badly outshined by Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski, but the best words to describe his first NBA season was "invisible."
The Jazz really tried to get him going in his rookie year, but Williams had that deer-in-the-headlights look that never waned. Even worse, it's not like things changed immediately in Year 2. Williams looked overmatched, but over time, he seemed to start showing some NBA skills.
A few months into the season, Williams at least showed a pulse in the NBA. Fast forward to March, and the former Jazz lottery pick has proven he absolutely belongs in the NBA. Williams just had his best month as a pro.
In the month of March, Williams averaged 15.5 points, four rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting almost 50% from the floor. This included his career-high of 34 points against Sacramento, which only boosted his confidence even more from there.
Since March 15, Williams has averaged 19.1 points, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 50% from the field. Utah only won one of those games, fueling a narrative that his numbers fit the profile of "good stats/bad team," but remember that Williams showed absolutely nothing for a worse Jazz team last year.
The fact that he's doing something proves how much more promising he has become as a prospect compared to this time last year.
Jazz fans should be excited for what's to come next year
Williams probably won't replicate the numbers he's been putting up for Utah over the month of March, but he has shown enough that he should be in the rotation for when the Jazz really start competing next season.
What made him so frustrating his rookie season is that his build gave him the look of a player who can create so many matchup problems on both sides of the floor, but it appeared as though he didn't truly know how to use it.
That hasn't been the case this season. He managed to use his athleticism, archetype, and skillset to carve out a niche for himself. His defense is much better and he's used his abilities to become an excellent cutter.
Utah will have a much better squad surrounding him next season, so if he can keep this up, not only is he one of the promising prospects on the Jazz, but also one of the most important.