5 NBA Rookies who may be steals, 4 who might be busts based on the early season

Cody Williams, Utah Jazz (disappointing)

Stats: 5 PPG, 3 RPG, 28% FG, 13% 3PT

To say that the Utah Jazz's rebuild has fallen off the rails may be an unfair overstatement. However, at this point, I wouldn't say that they're in a good place as a franchise. Over the past two seasons, it seems that the Jazz has somehow regressed every year instead of progressed. For a rebuild, even though that's not entirely surprising, it's also not ideal. For a Jazz team that should theoretically be trying to get better as they attempt to put together a competitive team around Lauri Markkanen, they certainly have some work to be done.

Through the first two weeks of the regular season, the Jazz is 1-6 and are likely on the path toward taking another step back this season in the Western Conference standings. As you would expect, with the team's overall struggles, there are also some individually slow starts to the season. Considering he was selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Cody Williams' start to the season for the Jazz has to be considered disappointing. As a player who had promise on both ends of the floor, Williams has struggled to make his presence felt consistently so far this season.

Williams has played in every game this season and has even started three games for the Jazz. Still, he's been almost non-existent on the offensive end of the floor and is still trying to find his groove as a player who has the potential to be a versatile defender in the NBA. Through the first seven games of his rookie season, Williams is averaging four points and three rebounds per game on 20 percent shooting from the field and 14 percent shooting from 3-point range.

I don't believe anyone envisioned that Williams would come in and be one of the better players in the league but this is the type of pressure that comes with being selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft. At least so far this season, it's not just that Williams has not been productive. It's the fact that he carries so much promise on both ends of the floor coupled with the fact that the Jazz overall has been quite disappointing. Williams is getting the opportunities; he simply hasn't been able to put it all together so far this season.