When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Josh Green for Cody Williams and John Konchar, and then waived Konchar, the main motive was to get underneath the second apron to free up cap space to sign Jonathan Kuminga. However, Cody Williams is slightly more than just a throw-in in a trade;he definitely has some untapped potential.
Williams is only 21 years old heading into his third NBA season. While the former lottery pick's production hasn't been ideal so far, it would be foolish to write him off this early, especially given his strong flashes toward the end of last season.
In his final 20 games of the year, Williams averaged 16 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game on 46.8/20.7/76.9 splits. Despite being on a Jazz team that was brutally tanking, the stats are encouraging. He had a few eye-popping games where he put up 34, 7 and 7 against the Sacramento Kings, 26, 6 and 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and 27, 11 and 4 against the Houston Rockets.
While I'm not expecting anything close to these numbers on a Wolves team that's trying to compete for a championship, I don't think it's out of the question that he could carve out a rotational spot. But to do that, one thing desperately needs improvement.
Williams needs to improve as a 3-point shooter
As far as positive traits Williams possesses that could help him carve out a path in the rotation, there are a few. He's a solid positional defender with good length and the ability to be a serviceable weak-side rim protector. He's a good positional passer, as some of those stat lines show, and he can be creative at getting downhill and finishing at the rim.
However, his 3-point shot has yet to come around, and that's been his biggest weakness when it comes to getting a consistent role. In his rookie season, he shot 25.9 percent from 3-point range, and last season, it went down to 21.1 percent. It's hard to provide high-level minutes as a wing if you're being ignored on the perimeter.
All of his minutes will likely be with either Rudy Gobert or Joan Beringer on the court, and having two non-shooters in a lineup is a death sentence in today's NBA. If he can raise his percentage to at least the low 30s, to where defenses will have to at least somewhat respect him, that could make all the difference in the world.
As of right now, he's likely on the outside looking in for a rotation spot, but if he improves his shooting, he already possesses other traits that could make him a fun bench piece in the future.
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