The away locker room inside Paycom Center had never been more quiet before a game.
Ironically, it was far from a lively scene for the Jazz in the hour leading up to its meeting with the Thunder on Jan. 7. No music being played at deafening decibel levels. No chatter from clusters of players, who were all either warming up on the court or receiving treatment.
Just Cody Williams. It was an ideal setting for the soft-spoken sophomore, who politely gave his pregame meal order to a Utah staff member, adding “please” and “thank you” to the request. And he was equally courteous when approached for an interview.
Williams gave articulate answers. The kind you’d get from a seasoned vet, not from someone who wasn’t able to legally order a drink until this past November. And his sober delivery drastically differed from that of his older brother, OKC star Jalen Williams, another great interviewee whose responses are peppered with punchlines.
Cody has found his own voice, just like he’s also finding his own path in the NBA. One that was bumpy as a rookie but is now on a promising stretch of road. The former 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft is averaging 9.1 points and 3.4 rebounds this month on 54% shooting from the field (34.5% from deep) in 24.6 minutes.
“I feel like I’m just getting into a flow and getting into a rhythm of playing a string of games,” Cody Williams told The Oklahoman. “I’m getting used to playing hard on both ends. I feel like that has just allowed me to get more comfortable as the season goes on.”
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‘He has just kept his head down and kept working’
Jalen describes his younger brother Cody as “chill” and “nonchalant.” The kind of guy who “goes with the flow,” which has helped him navigate some rough seas. And there has been a lot of that in recent years.
The former five-star prospect’s lone season with Colorado in 2023-24 was bogged down by injuries. A fractured wrist that sidelined him for 36 days. A fractured left orbital bone that forced him to play with a mask. A Grade 3 right ankle sprain that he played through in the NCAA tournament despite having stretched ligaments, bone bruises and two bone fragments in his foot.
Cody’s injury woes then traveled with him to Utah during his rookie season. He was plagued by various setbacks, capped off by a case of mononucleosis.
That sidelined Cody for the Jazz’s last seven games of the regular season, which was realistically over long before that for the tanking team. But even garbage-time minutes would’ve been treasured by the developing forward.
“He was hurt and sick a lot last year,” Jalen Williams told The Oklahoman. “Especially towards the back end of the year, where I think it would’ve helped him a lot to play a lot more in those games. … Like any good player, the more you’re just out there, the more you’re going to learn how to be aggressive and get the skills that you need in order to be successful.”
Those opportunities didn’t come consistently for Cody last season, even when he was healthy.
The former lottery pick started in 21 of his 50 games, but he also received the occasional DNP and briefly found himself in the G League. He only averaged 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 21.2 minutes with the Jazz on 32.3% shooting from the field (25.9% from deep).
Cody hadn’t yet learned how to play at the highest level, but he already had a pro mindset. A go-with-the-flow mentality that helped him stay afloat.
“I think Cody, first and foremost, is an incredible young man,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “He works really hard, and he’s very smart. He hasn’t always gotten what he’s wanted in the league so far. He has spent time in the G League. He has been in the rotation in some moments and out of the rotation in other moments. That’s not everybody’s experience when they start in the NBA.
“But I think he has handled it all with a ton of class. He has just kept his head down and kept working.”
‘He set the blueprint for me to follow’
Cody walked around Indiana’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse with his hands tucked into the pockets of his zip-up hoodie on June 19, soaking in the scene through a pair of oversized Chrome Hearts glasses.
He tightroped the yellow retractable belt that separated the court from the first row of seats. It was as close as he’d ever been to an NBA Finals stage. Much closer than his Jazz teammates, whose 17-65 season ended back in April.
Cody was selected by the league as a player media correspondent for Game 6 between OKC and Indiana. And it wasn’t just an opportunity for him to watch Jalen compete for a title. It was a chance for him to see what it takes to compete for one.
“The biggest thing was just how quick teams turn around after possessions,” Cody said of his takeaways from the Finals. “Missed shots. Dunks. Turnovers. They change ends super quick. I feel like that was the biggest one, just the intensity that they play with. I feel like you need to bring that every single game. If you bring that intensity to the regular season, you’re setting yourself up for success.”
Watching Jalen overcome his own injury, a torn ligament in his right shooting wrist, to win a championship only motivated Cody more entering the offseason. And so did his older brother’s physical transformation.
Jalen joined OKC in 2022 as a 195-pound rookie with a chip on his shoulder after being picked 12th overall. He ended last season as a 220-pound junior with a different chip at only 24.
“He set the blueprint for me to follow,” Cody said. “He set a really easy blueprint for me to follow, always just working out with him. I feel like he laid the foundation for me.”
Cody followed that blueprint this past summer. The wiry wing consumed 4,800 calories per day and hit the weight room hard, which helped him gain around 15 pounds.
He even found a massage therapist and a chef at the recommendation of Jalen, who was around as often as he could be for guidance despite having his own offseason schedule.
“The Williams household has figured out how to add a little bit of weight,” Jalen said. “I see a lot of the effort and time that goes into what he’s doing. … I always forget that he’s so much younger than me. At 21, I couldn’t gain weight. The fact that he’s able to put on a little bit of weight is cool. It just shows how serious he’s taking it.”
‘I’m trying to set the tone with physicality and playing with force’
It’s easy for things to snowball in Salt Lake City. And with every poor performance last season, Cody found himself buried even deeper in criticism. A chilling reminder of how quickly warm receptions can turn cold.
There were the fans who felt Utah’s lottery pick went to waste. There were the prop bettors who feuded over his underwhelming stat lines. There were the reporters who wrote him off as a bust.
Cody often found himself on the defensive. But he has been in attack mode as of late, like when he cut toward the rim during the first quarter of Utah’s game against OKC on Jan. 7. He then gathered a pass and went up strong, delivering a two-handed dunk over his older brother and Chet Holmgren.
“I think Cody has played with a lot of force lately,” Hardy said. “He hasn’t been as cautious on the offensive side. I think he has made a couple of plays downhill toward the basketball that have been pretty amazing. He has made plays above the rim, and he’s not hesitating at all.”
It’s the power of combining mental strength with his new physical strength.
Cody isn’t getting pushed off his path toward the rim as often. He’s averaging 3.8 drives per 36 minutes, which is about the same as last season (4.1). But he’s shooting 48.6% in those situations compared to 38.5% as a rookie.
And while Cody always had the measures of a capable defender, standing at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and an 8-foot-7 standing reach, his added strength has been a game changer. It has allowed him to fight through screens better and stand his ground against bigger opponents.
“I’m just being aggressive,” Cody said. “I’m trying to set the tone with physicality and playing with force. That’s the biggest thing I’m focusing on.”
There’s still plenty of room for Cody’s game to grow. That gets pointed out every time Jalen sends him film and feedback during the season. But as much as poor performances can snowball, so can good ones.
Cody has shown glimpses this month of why he was the No. 7-ranked prospect in ESPN’s Class of 2023 rankings. He has shown why Utah selected him with a top-10 pick. He has shown why Hardy has given him nearly twice as many minutes per game (24.6) compared to last month (12.6).
And the more noise he makes, the quieter everything around him gets.
“He’s starting to figure it out a little bit,” Jalen said. “It’s cool to watch his progression. I think everybody forgets how young he is. He has a lot of room to be really good.”
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
