By the end of last season, a litany of NBA fans were ready to sell all of their Cody Williams stock. Selected 10th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Colorado product had an all but forgettable rookie campaign, finishing the 2024-25 season averaging 4.6 points per game with a .419 true shooting percentage. Part of the problem was beyond his control, as the Utah Jazz didn’t start getting more out of him until they played to his strengths.

Upon entering the league, Williams was painted as a 3-and-D prospect.  This was largely due to surface-level analysis. People noticed that he shot 41.5% from 3 in college, assessed his defensive upside, and determined that would be the best role for him. What they didn’t take into account was his 3-point rate with the Buffaloes (.211). That and Williams’s film suggested he would be better if he was allowed to create for himself off-the-dribble.

Jazz Sophomore Cody Williams Scores 34 Points In Career Night

On Sunday, Williams was a man on a mission in the Jazz’s battle against the Sacramento Kings. With Utah missing starting guards Keyonte George and Ace Bailey, he took it upon himself to lead the charge. By the end of the night, the Jazzman had scored a career-high 34 points while adding seven assists, seven rebounds, one steal and one block.

Those numbers would come in a narrow loss, Kings veteran DeMar DeRozan even more dominant with 41 points and 11 assists. However, it was a revelatory performance for Williams, his supporters and his detractors.

How C-Dub Went From ‘Not’ To ‘Hot’

Just two months ago, Williams was the butt of the joke after recording the worst-plus minus in NBA history (-60).

Jalen Williams on his brother, Cody, having the lowest plus/minus in NBA history of -60 vs. Hornets:

“He played well… Let’s highlight that, I had a -40 and won a Finals, plus minus a useless stat.”

(via @LeagueAlerts) pic.twitter.com/0IOkzK4GK8

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 12, 2026

For clarification, he posted that plus-minus in a game that Utah lost by 55 points. Furthermore, he was efficient offensively, scoring 15 points on 5-9 shooting from the field. To take it one step further, because of Williams’ perimeter defense and willingness to play without the ball, he’s a constant in the Jazz’s lineups. And in that game, with Utah missing Lauri Markkanen and Svi Mykhailiuk, his presence was even more necessary. Bearing that in mind, Williams is in five of the Jazz’s seven most-used lineups that have neither Markkanen nor Mykhailiuk.

None of that context matters to fans that already have their minds made up, let alone trolls. Nevertheless, it’s certainly relevant for people wondering how Williams was able to score 34 points, especially when he entered the game with a career-high of 19 points (that he had set against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 13). With that being said, his career night against Sacramento might have seemed like it came out of nowhere, but it’s one he had been building towards.

‘Macho Man’ Cody Savage?

This season, it initially seemed as if Utah doubled-down on their attempts to make Williams a 3-and-D player. Across his first 27 games, 39.0% of his field goal attempts were 3-pointers, of which he made 18.8%. Averaging a measly 4.7 points per game up to that point, his only saving grace was his defensive impact. However, in the 27 games since, just 24.1% of his shot attempts have been 3s, of which he’s converted 29.2%.

In that stretch, he averaged a solid if unspectacular 9.3 points per game. Because he’s taking fewer 3s, he’s even been more efficient, shooting 50.3% from the field. For comparison, he only made 43.9% of his field goals across his first 27 games. Again, the crux of that improvement has been the changes to his shot diet. However, to be more specific, what Williams really adjusted was his level of physicality.

It’s early in year two, but the changes Cody Williams has made in his physicality are already starting to show

28.4% of his FGAs now come from within 0-3 feet of the rim, up from 10.4% as a rook

And he’s raised his FG% in that area up from 59.3% to 70.3% pic.twitter.com/OHLNsYTHLW

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) January 23, 2026

Whether in college or in the G League, Williams was much more capable of and ready to absorb contact. It isn’t stupefying that he had more trouble doing that against NBA players. Yet, that was less because of a shift in talent level than a need to get stronger, physically. With that being said, it was naturally going to take him time to add that muscle to his frame. Between his rookie and sophomore season, the lanky wing gained about 13 pounds (h/t The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen).

Now, nobody is saying that Williams looks like “Macho Man” Randy Savage out there. All the same, with him now finding it easier to score after contact, it does much to open up his game. He can drive with more confidence, whether it’s a designed play or the result of a closeout. Defenders may still play off of him but they’ll be less prone to treat him as a non-factor. With better gravity, he’ll have more opportunities to make plays for his teammates.

The Last Word On Cody Williams

It’s still too early to make any sweeping declarations about Williams, one way or another. Nevertheless, he’s giving NBA fans –and most importantly the Jazz front office –more to discuss than whether he was the right player to draft. After all, they were in position to select several wings that have been praised early in their career.

Kyshawn George, the 24th overall pick, is currently averaging career-highs of 14.8 points and 4.5 per game for the Washington Wizards. Jaylon Tyson, the 20th overall pick, is averaging a career-high 13.2 points per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Memphis Grizzlies starter Jaylen Wells, the 39th overall pick, has posted a double-digit scoring average in both of his seasons.

Compared to them, Williams is still behind the curve. But without going on a tangent, suffice it to say that the success in the NBA is more of a marathon than a sprint. What matters is not how Williams played as a rookie but how he’ll fare five years from now. Keeping that in mind, with Williams steadily gathering momentum, time may actually be on his side.