Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Cody Williams was sent to the G League by the Utah Jazz for development.
- Coach Will Hardy emphasizes the move is not a demotion, but a growth opportunity.
- Williams aims to enhance his guard skills, inspired by past G League success stories.
SALT LAKE CITY — Brice Sensabaugh knows a little about how Cody Williams feels this week.
On Monday, the Utah Jazz sent Williams — the team's lottery selections in the 2024 draft — to the G League to play with the Salt Lake City Stars. That's a move Sensabaugh is quite familiar with.
Sensabaugh spent 16 games with the Stars last season, averaging 18.7 points. He credits that experience for helping him adjust to life as a professional and helping him get some needed confidence, and thinks it can have a similar impact on Williams.
"I texted him and just let him know what I went through," Sensabaugh said. "It's not a negative thing at all. I took it as a challenge, and I challenged him to do the same thing."
Williams' usage rating was among the lowest in the NBA, all while shooting 27% from the field and 19% from the 3-point line. After starting seven games following the season-ending injury to Taylor Hendricks, Williams slid further and further back in the rotation. He averaged just a hair above 10 minutes per game in his last three games with the Jazz.
The reduced role had pigeon-holed him into a 3-and-D wing box — a role the Jazz don't forsee as his future. The chance with the Stars offers an opportunity to get the ball in his hands more and push his development forward.
"Cody needs opportunity," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "With our group right now, his minutes are a little bit lower. … This is an opportunity for him to play a lot, have the ball in his hands a little bit more, catch a little bit of a rhythm, and kind of continue on his path of development and improvement with us right now. We're not helping him as much, and so he'll spend a little time with the Stars and be back soon."
Williams has tried to fit into Utah's offense to a fault. He's been a bit too careful when his chances do come and too shy to initiate actions; that's all understandable. He's a rookie trying to figure out his place in the NBA hierarchy — and the Jazz have a plethora of ball-dominant guards. Getting some time with the Stars should give him more chances and more freedom to, as Hardy puts it, "let it rip."
Williams said his biggest focus is to develop guard skills — playing on the ball, bringing up the ball and getting the team actions — during his time with the Stars.
"Kind of just being a point guard out here," he said.
That should help him grow into the type of player that the Jazz envisioned when they took Williams with the No. 10 pick last June — a dynamic wing who can create.
"We are big believers in the G League," Hardy said. "It's a part of our program. … It's not a demotion to go to the G League and we're very fortunate that it's in our market. So there's a ton of communication and a ton of crossover between the two groups."
Hendricks and Sensabaugh both became more confident after stints in the G League, and Johnny Juzang developed into a full-time NBA player.
Those are success stories that Williams can lean on.
"I think initially it was kind of like, 'Dang!'," Sensabaugh said about going down last season. "But it's a super common thing for first-round players and rookies. … I think it's just the way you look at it. I saw it as a challenge to get better and build my confidence up. I think if you use it the right way, obviously they've got a lot of players that come out and do big things."
