So much went right for the Utah Jazz last night that it overshadowed a troubling development: Cody Williams didn't play until the game was well out of reach. Because Williams did not play until garbage time, it confirms that the Jazz do not really believe in Williams' abilities at the moment.
This isn't exactly the most surprising news. Williams had a historically awful rookie season last year, with no area of his game that wasn't concerning. He looked better in the Summer League, which raised some optimism about his long-term prospects, but an uneven preseason performance was a good reminder that, if he becomes an NBA player, it may take some time.
The Jazz had a sensational opening night against the Los Angeles Clippers, much of it thanks to their young players like Walker Kessler, Brice Sensabaugh, Keyonte George, and Walter Clayton Jr., among others.
But one can't help but notice that Svi Mykhailiuk started on opening night (likely because Ace Bailey was still sick) instead of Williams, who plays a similar position. The Jazz have typically only played Mykhailiuk when they are down a few players, so the fact that he got the nod over Williams with the roster mostly intact speaks volumes about where they stand with the No. 10 pick from the 2024 NBA Draft.
Simply stated, Williams is far from ready to play legitimate NBA minutes. Last season, the Jazz knew this and still tried to get him going, but they didn't have much luck. Now that they have more talent on the roster, Williams may be on the shelf moving forward.
It's not too late for Williams... yet.
There could be some unforeseen team developments in Utah as the season goes on, but if things continue to trend the way they have, Williams will likely be sent down to the G-League again this season. That's better than having him sit on the bench while the Jazz's other youth develop.
That doesn't mean he won't get his chances. The Jazz are sure to make a trade or two this season and will have a few injuries as the season goes on. That could give Williams the opportunity to prove himself, even if he likely won't get as many as he did during his rookie season.
Even if Williams isn't ready now, the Jazz should have plenty of patience with him. They took him knowing that he would likely be a project on a team that plans to take its time to evolve into a playoff contender. The one unforeseen twist is that it may take more time than the team would have liked.