Thunder Draft Report: Colorado’s Cody Williams

The Oklahoma City Thunder should take a look at Colorado forward Cody Williams as a versatile forward with high upside.

Despite battling for a top spot in the Western Conference, the OKC Thunder still have an absorbent amount of picks, including a projected lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Let’s take a look at Cody Williams and how he would fit in the Thunder system. 

Draft Profile 

• Height: 6'8

• Weight: 185

• Wingspan: N/A

• Age: 19

• School: Colorado

Quick Scouting Report

Williams is the younger brother of Thunder star Jalen Williams and has been projected all over the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery. The Colorado product has seen the case made for him to go first overall while also being met with some pushback later in the college season. 

The Buffalo swingman is in the midst of a 2023-24 season that deserves context. While on paper it can appear like an up-and-down campaign injuries have littered Williams freshman year. From an early-season wrist injury to a late-season ankle that he is playing through. 

Overall, Williams is a versatile forward who can make a winning impact right away in the right situation while also possessing a high upside. 

Strengths and Weakness

Strengths

Williams is a Swiss army knife on both ends of the floor. Offensively he can play on and off the ball, defensively he is able to switch 1-5. He is excellent in transition running the floor hard, filling the lane and producing 1.262 points per possession when pushing the pace. 

The 19-year-old is at minimum a fantastic play-finisher with his ability to cut past defenses with long strides, use his frame to seal off defenders and a great catch radius that compliments his soft hands. Williams is in the 86th percentile as a cutter. He is also able to cap off savvy ball movement with a 45 percent hit rate on catch-and-shoot attempts. 

He projects to be able to turn into a nice roll man in the pick-and-roll and finish off plays in the dunker spot as his brother leaned into at the NBA level. 

However, offensively his on-ball creation flashes is part of what makes him so intriguing. A 6-foot-8 swingman improving as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and being able to get to his spots around the rim where he converts at a 75 percent clip. 

His shot looks smooth, especially off the catch. Shooting 72 percent from the free throw line and 41 percent from distance should encourage NBA teams about his floor spacing ability. 

Williams has a ceiling defensively that could quickly put him among the top names in the NBA on that end of the floor. He perfectly uses his length to be able to switch 1-5 on that end.

His ability to jump screens and blow-up actions make him a force on that end of the floor. Williams is hard to shake off his assignment and has the footwork to recover if you burst past him or cover for a lapsing teammate. 

Weaknesses

Williams struggles to shoot the ball off the dribble, turning in a lowly 28 percent on just 14 attempts. His shot off the dribble is a touch slow which can really be exploited at the next level, though a high release point should help him counter that against most of his NBA matchups. It is hard to know how much the injuries to his ankle and wrist – both vital parts in the shooting process – have caused this issue. 

That rough shooting follows him into the painted area on runners only chipping in 29 percent of his floaters which might limit him as a rim scorer at the next level at least initially. 

Can he blow past anyone off the dribble at the next level? Athletically there are question marks about that, though with his blend of length and potential size, this flaw can be combatted with a blend of craft and physicality. 

While Williams possesses a solid frame, he needs to fill it out at the next level – say it with me folks, like his brother! – while it is a concern right now if it gets course-corrected, it quickly opens up more advantages for him. 

Thunder Fit

Future Role 

Williams has the potential to be an offensive engine and defense weapon if given the time to develop. At a minimum a high-quality piece for a championship-level core thanks to his play-finishing and lock-down potential on defense.

Rotation Fit

The Buffalo Forward would instantly crack the Thunder’s rotation and might track similarly to Cason Wallace. While Wallace has been stellar this season in his role, the organization is not limiting him to that still aiming to tap into his higher ceiling while allowing him to contribute right away. 

Williams would join one of the league’s best defenses and defensive coaching staff who could help him perfect the craft. Offensively his catch-and-shoot and cutting ability would make him one of the best complimentary players the Thunder could ask for as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren command so much attention.

He would fit the Thunder prototype and be able to have a runway of development that could eventually lead to him playing a massive part in an era Oklahoma City hopes is filled with many contending seasons. 

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