After a historically bad rookie season, Cody Williams has been arguably even worse for the Utah Jazz this season. He's barely played, and when he has, he hasn't looked anywhere close to good. For that reason, it's now come into question what the plan is with Williams or moreover, what exactly the Jazz were thinking when they decided to keep him for next season.
The Salt Lake Tribune's Andy Larsen asked this very question verbatim when he brought up Williams.
"What in the world are the Jazz doing with Cody Williams?" Larsen asked.
"He’s regressed again so far this season, with a 0.6 PER that ranks last in the NBA among players with 30 minutes or more (Williams has played 141 minutes). He looks completely broken and lost out there. He is shooting 11% from 3, has more fouls than rebounds and assists combined, and he’s averaging 2.3 points per game. As promising as Keyonte George has been this season, Williams has been the exact opposite."
After asserting that there may not be a Jazzman who needs time in the G-League more than Williams does, Larsen then wondered if Utah doesn't plan to play him, then he shouldn't be in their future plans.
"I care about this guy! The Jazz put their fans through a half-season of tanking for this guy! I get that the early returns have been awful, but the Jazz can’t just staple him to their bench, either. And if that was going to be the plan, then picking up his third-year option just one month ago was a mistake."
Williams has displayed the right attitude about not having a role with the Jazz, but still. The concern about his progress or lack of has not only been justified. It's only gotten stronger as, unlike last year, Utah's not even giving him the chance to prove himself.
He actually may never get that chance with the amount of players who play his position, so one question remains.
Where do the Jazz go from here with Williams?
While Williams being sent down to the G-League feels inevitable at some point this season, Utah can't ignore the problems with him. Perhaps the biggest reason why the Jazz want to keep him around is that the idea of the player he could be is highly exciting and could be useful for when the team begins its playoff aspirations.
Alas, that player hasn't shown up yet, and the more time passes with no indications that he will whatsoever, the Jazz must think about how much longer they plan to invest in him. With more of their young players progressing, it makes Williams' lack of it stand out more.
The Jazz shouldn't feel pressured to make a decision, but as the season progresses, they may not have a choice but to acknowledge that they missed on Williams if he's still in the same place he is now. It's frustrating because they took him over the very exciting Matas Buzelis, but doubling down on a mistake has never been the right decision in the NBA.
Williams hasn't been considered a mistake yet, but at this rate, he's going to be in little time. Utah must decide whether they should give him a bigger role or have him play for the Stars. At this point, not giving him any playing time whatsoever is not the right decision.