OKC Thunder nab brother of rising star in latest Mock Draft
By Rylan Stiles
9. player. 149. . Forward. Oklahoma City Thunder. Cody Williams
The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Jalen Williams with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Williams was a late riser from Santa Clara after dominating the NBA Combine, and Sam Presti knew he had to grab the wing a bit early before the “Sweet spot” of selecting Williams came up.
In his rookie season, Jalen Williams dominated, at times representing the second-best player on the OKC Thunder roster, on his way to earning Rookie of the Year runner-up honors. The versatile wing impacted winning in a big way, helping lift OKC to a 40-win season a year ago.
His brother, Cody Williams, is a college phenom at the University of Colorado. Williams has played in five games, averaging 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal per game.
The CU wing shoots 58 percent from the floor, 43 percent from beyond the arc, and 64 percent at the charity stripe. Williams, like his brother, strongly impacts both ends of the floor.
According to Synergy, Cody Williams is excellent in transition, turning in 1.714 points per possession in such scenarios. Williams also thrives in pick-and-roll situations and as a spot-up shooter.
At the rim, Williams shoots a jaw-dropping 75 percent at the rim, which ranks among the best in the country. On catch-and-shoot jumpers, Williams strokes it at a 40 percent clip.
On the defensive end, Cody Williams can disrupt pick-and-roll actions, close out to shooters, and take away shots at the rim for his size. Williams is only being scored on at a 42 percent clip at the cup.
Cody Williams is 6’8 and fits the OKC Thunder mold; using a top-ten pick on the Colorado Buffalo wing would be a slam-dunk selection.