The Utah Jazz landed some very impressive young rookies in this summer's NBA Draft, led by Cody Williams and followed by Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski below them.
Three rookies immediately stood out as a pool of promising players in this year's draft, with the headliner being Cody Williams, who the Jazz selected with the 10th overall pick. The 6-foot-6 wing is athletic at the NBA level and is a two-way threat with the ability to defend well, drive to the rim and shoot the ball effectively. It's inevitable that he will be a fixture in Utah's offense.
NBA Insider Tony Jones Athletic recently, ESPN 700 Jones spoke about how Williams' first year with the Jazz would go, and was lavish with praise on the Colorado native. He sees Williams as a day-one contributor who can quickly slot into the rotation and earn up to 20 minutes per game for Utah's youth development efforts.
“Based on what we saw in the summer league, I'm not going to send Cody Williams to the G League. I don't think his issue is with his fitness, not his technique. He needs to get his body in shape, but I think his technique-wise he's ready to play in the NBA right away. If I were the Jazz, I'd give Cody Williams 15-20 minutes per game from day one.”
– Tony Jones via ESPN 700
Starting with actual NBA minutes instead of G League minutes will be different than what happened when the Jazz's last top draft pick, Taylor Hendricks, started his career in 2023.
Williams has a chance to be an impact player on the wing and help ease some of the defensive challenges the team had last season, and he could also be an effective scorer thanks to his size and versatility, which is the route Utah's 2023 No. 16 overall pick, Keyonte George, chose to take to start his first year in the league and has quickly become a key figure in this backcourt.
Considering the Jazz are expected to rely more on youth this season than they have over the past two years, the decision to give Williams extended time will be a welcome addition to the team's ultimate goal of drafting and developing young players.
Whether as a starter or a key reserve, Williams is primed to take on the wing of a young Jazz team in the regular season, building on his success in the summer league. If his performance a few weeks ago in Las Vegas is any indication of what to expect in his rookie year, Utah could have another strong foundation on which to build a rebuilding franchise.
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