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2024 NBA draft: Making the case for selecting Cody Williams at No. 1
ESPN PLUS $ MATERIALColorado freshman Cody Williams has captured the attention of the NBA, growing into a large role for the Buffaloes and showcasing a diverse set of perimeter skills. The younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams, Cody has taken a more traditional path onto the draft radar, emerging as a top recruit in high school on his way to eventual one-and-done status. And while he might be more of a sleeper candidate atop the draft, lottery teams will examine his case closely.
Woo breaks down Williams' game, looks at his strengths and weaknesses, and provides a player comp for him moving forward.
Cody Williams | SG/SF | Age: 19.2 | Colorado
Williams' strengths
Williams checks a wide range of conceptual boxes when it comes to traits that teams value in perimeter players. Standing 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, he can handle, pass, make winning decisions, play in transition and defend, all at a good level for his age. After growing 8 inches throughout high school, Williams has viable guard skills for his size and has done well in handling a large role at Colorado, often tasked with making plays and setting up teammates alongside scoring-oriented guard KJ Simpson. Williams can get downhill with a long stride and finish comfortably with either hand in the paint. He's intrinsically unselfish -- to a fault at times -- but plays a team-focused style that should translate quickly to the pros.
While he hasn't shot 3s with significant volume on a game-to-game basis, Williams has looked capable enough (47.1% on 34 attempts) to project him as an above-average shooter over time. This is an area that scouts have to parse closely and a key swing skill for his long-term growth, but he has made strides as a shooter and is regarded as a hard worker who should get the most out of his ability. This part of his game requires some optimism, but it seems realistic he'll become at the very least a reliable shooter off the catch.
Defensively, Williams has looked like one of the most versatile stoppers in college basketball. He has excellent length, quick feet and good balance, allowing him to slow down ball handlers as well as cover ground and play the passing lanes away from the point of attack. He's an active defender who can switch onto smaller and bigger players, and the film speaks a bit louder than his defensive production, where he has averaged less than a block and a steal per game. His talent on that end of the floor and his potential on offense points to strong upside if he puts it all together.
Williams' weaknesses
While a large part of Williams' optimism is his perceived floor as a quality contributor, the case against him is more about him not being a franchise cornerstone player worth a top selection. That's a question teams are asking of every top prospect in the 2024 draft, but Williams isn't quite developed enough as an on-ball creator to project star-level usage comfortably.
Evolving as a half-court scoring threat is critical to Williams maximizing his potential. While he's a solid finisher around the rim and in the paint, developing counters and diversifying how he attacks defenders will be pivotal to him becoming a potential high-usage player in the pros. He'll need to get stronger to improve as a finisher attacking defenders' bodies off the drive. Williams can also be a little stiff getting to his jumper and isn't super comfortable pulling up off the dribble, limiting his shot creation at this stage. Developing his footwork and comfort level in those areas will be critical, as he's not as far along for a top-pick candidate hoping to be a creator in the long run.
What NBA scouts are saying about Williams
NBA scouts I've spoken with generally view Williams as more of a mid- to late-lottery type of talent in a stronger draft, a statement that broadly applies to all the top projected picks in this class. He appears to be trending toward a top-five selection, thanks to his high-value floor as a two-way contributor and upside as a potential on-ball playmaker at his size. While still a bit raw offensively, his skill set distinguishes him from the other top prospects, with developmental potential as a sort of positionless perimeter creator, and a tough, switchable defender. Players in that mold who share the ball and make positive decisions are extremely easy to mix and match into different lineups. Even if Williams doesn't become a star, there's quite a bit of value in what he might be able to do for a team.
Williams has been a bit up and down of late, and teams will want to see him finish the season strong with Colorado currently on the NCAA tournament bubble and in need of a push over the next few weeks. He'll need to be more aggressive consistently but also do a better job limiting turnovers, which has been a struggle his past few games. Nobody is expecting him to suddenly take over every game, but continuing to show flashes of his talent and room for growth as a scorer will help his case.
My favorite Williams highlight
Williams' breakout game came Jan. 18 against Oregon when he scored a season-high 23 points and showcased all the facets of his game. When he gets going as a scorer and is making plays defensively, it's hard not to see the intrigue. While he might never be extremely flashy, these clips showcase his growing ability to get into the paint, change pace and create off the bounce, as well as some confident shooting from distance. This game in particular seemed to turn a lot of heads and solidified him as one of the draft's best prospects.Williams' NBA player comp
I think it's interesting to look at Williams through the lens of a player such as Tayshaun Prince, who was similar in size and role, was a top-flight NBA defender at his peak and operated in a point forward role at times for the Detroit Pistons. Prince was another player whose major defensive contributions didn't always show up in the form of steals and blocks, and he was a capable but low-volume shooter from distance. As Williams gets stronger and develops his all-around game, he could feasibly take a similar trajectory, even without hitting a top-end outcome in his development.Projected NBA lottery team that provides the best fit for Williams
Williams would be an excellent building block for the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors or Memphis Grizzlies, all teams that need more size and versatility on the perimeter and are in the process of reorienting their rosters for the future. He'd be duplicative in Detroit and Charlotte, which already have taller perimeter creators. I particularly like Washington as a landing spot as the decks are cleared for the optimal developmental role and minutes that could lead to rapid improvement. I'd be curious about Williams as a fit for the San Antonio Spurs, who need a lead guard type and could look to develop him in that vein.Why Williams could go No. 1
In a draft in which front offices are squinting hard to project value with every top prospect, I think there's a macro-level argument for Williams as the best mix of ceiling and floor relative to who's available. If you're targeting perimeter talent and in search of creative upside, Williams has a real chance to fit into the jumbo playmaker mold that we're presently seeing have success around the NBA. While still raw in a lot of areas, Williams already plays a winning style, has a range of valuable qualities and has a feasible pathway to being one of the top players in this class. There's an interesting argument for drafting Williams ahead of Zaccharie Risacher (who projects more as a 3-and-D finisher than a high-usage creator), Nikola Topic (who's more polished but lacks Williams' athletic qualities and defensive skills) and Matas Buzelis (who slots in as more of a true small forward in the long run, and also has a lot of growth needed to hit his ceiling).To build momentum and make a real case at No. 1, it will be imperative that Williams adequately address some of the lingering questions about his offensive game in the pre-draft process. Teams will want to see him catch and shoot and get to his shot off the bounce, two areas that can be showcased effectively in workouts. I don't expect there to be many questions about his defensive ability, which is among the best in the class. While the case requires some wishful thinking, that's simply the type of year it is atop the draft. It might be a longer shot because Risacher and Alex Sarr are having strong years overseas, but the archetype for what Williams could become and his reasonable pathway to achieving it are at the very least worth strong consideration.
