Well, that didn't last long. After literally one game in the G-League, the Utah Jazz have recalled Isaiah Collier from the SLC Stars. After seeing his one performance with the Stars, it's pretty obvious why they were pretty quick to make this call.
Isaiah Collier was unstoppable in his @SLCStars debut! The @UtahJazz first-round draft pick scored a game-high 36 points on nearly perfect 83% shooting from the field. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/pbqtrWIzSg
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 10, 2024
So Collier has played well enough that it seems unlikely that the Jazz will send him back to the Stars again. The same can't be said about Cody Williams.
The Jazz sent him down to the Stars a few weeks ago. Williams is playing well among other G-Leaguers, and that counts for something.
21 PTS ⭐️ 7/10 FG ⭐️ 3/3 3PT
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 5, 2024
2024 NBA first round pick Cody Williams dropped a CAREER-HIGH in scoring for the @slcstars! He did this in just 20 MIN of action. pic.twitter.com/vM6JbpCF8p
However, Collier outshined Williams' efforts with one performance. It's not like either has lit the world on fire since starting their respective NBA careers—and it's not like the Jazz demanded that from them right away—but Collier proving to the Jazz immediately that he shouldn't be in the G-League says something about Williams.
This is looking like a redshirt year for Williams
Utah threw Williams to the wolves when the 2024-25 season started to see just how NBA-ready he was. It was clear from the jump that he is pretty raw and will need time to develop. The Jazz are pretty familiar with that territory, knowing their previous lottery picks. See Exum, Dante.
However, Collier playing as well as he did and getting called up immediately signifies that Williams will likely stay down in the G-League for a long time where he can get the reps he needs to more seamlessly transition his game to the NBA.
This isn't a bad thing. The Jazz have had plenty of success stories with alumni whose rise started with them getting their feet wet with the Stars. That list includes Rudy Gobert. He can become their next G-League success story with the appropriate number of reps.
There's no reason for anyone to give up on Williams, though it is a shame that the Jazz's No. 10 pick will spend his rookie season in the minors. At the same time, it's necessary for his career long-term
And if we're being honest, the Jazz already had enough established talent that if Williams had shown from the get-go that he was ready for the big time, it would have been an added bonus and given them more incentive to trade their guys than they already do.
It isn't fun that he will remain a question mark for the time being, but that shouldn't stop the Jazz from being optimistic about him long-term.