What Jazz's Will Hardy Said After Cody Williams' 34-Point Night

While the Utah Jazz would fall in a loss to the Sacramento Kings, 111-116, to end their weekend, it wouldn't be without a career-best night coming to form from second-year wing Cody Williams.

In the 38 minutes that Williams played, he put together a career-high 34 points while shooting over 50% from the field, cashed in three shots from deep, and paired it with seven rebounds and seven assists for his most productive night as a pro, even in the midst of a loss for the team as a whole.

Cody Williams in the Jazz's 111-116 loss vs. the Kings:

38 MIN
34 PTS (career-high)
7 REB
7 AST (ties career-high)
9-17 FG
3-7 3PT

A huge performance for Utah's second-year wing 🔥 pic.twitter.com/97beRSzXX9
— Utah Jazz On SI (@JazzOnSI) March 16, 2026

After the game came to a close, Jazz head coach Will Hardy had a ton of praise to hand towards his 10th-overall pick from two summers ago, crediting him as a player that he and the rest of the organization are "really proud of."

"Cody is somebody that we are really proud of. The way that he carries himself, the way that he has kept his head down and worked really, really hard, for him to have a game like he did tonight shows the progress that he's making as a young man and as a player," Hardy said postgame.

"Cody's confidence continues to grow. I think a night like tonight will just compound that. And so, we're really happy and really proud with how he played tonight."

Will Hardy on Cody Williams' 34 PTS vs. the Kings:

🗣️"Cody is somebody that we are really proud of."

"The way that he has kept his head down and worked really hard, for him to have a game like he did tonight shows the progress he's making as a young man and a player." pic.twitter.com/K0tZtQ3K7K
— Utah Jazz On SI (@JazzOnSI) March 16, 2026

Will Hardy Extremely Pleased With Cody Williams

Heading into the night, Williams hadn't even cracked 20 points in a single game throughout his career, having spent his first season in the league up and down between the G League with an inconsistent role in the regular rotation, but having keyed in on his aggressiveness on both ends of the floor in year two to help land him a few more opportunities.

Now, it's led to Williams really starting to find his groove on both ends of the floor. He's attacking the rim at a high level, is showing glimpses of being a positive impact player defensively, and the further that he develops into his NBA body and extended minutes like he did against the Kings, the more he'll be able to grow moving forward.

Mar 13, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

There is a good chance that Williams, once the Jazz's rotation is fully healthy next year, won't get quite the same reps and shots he is now in Utah's tanking efforts in mid-March. After all, Williams has started every game throughout the past two weeks because of injuries to guys like Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson, both of whom will be huge factors in this group come next season.

But even when that time comes for him to settle down into maybe more of a backseat in the lineup, Hardy still feels like the traits Williams has showcased in the past few games can translate well into the Jazz's rotation moving forward.

"I think a lot of it is [translatable]," Hardy said. "The part that may be different moving forward, depending on what the team looks like and what Cody's role is, is the first 10 seconds of the clock. There may not be as many opportunities for him in terms of play-calling for him, but who knows?"

"We've already seen what can happen with young players in an offseason. Guys could take a big jump. We never want to put a ceiling on anybody. But I think the way that Cody's playing on the second side of the action as the possession unfolds is stuff that you can see, really, with any group."

Time will tell just how high Williams' ceiling can go as a player, but with 14 games left to go in the Jazz's regular season, expect him to continue holding a big chunk of the responsibility on both ends of the floor throughout.