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Before training camp began, before any preseason games had been played and before the Utah Jazz had any official practices ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season, rookie Cody Williams made an impression on his new teammates.

It wasn’t about Williams being ultra aggressive, or trying things that are out of the box or that would wow a crowd. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. By not necessarily standing out, Williams has proven himself ready for the NBA game.

“The best thing about Cody is that he’s able to blend in,” Keyonte George said at Jazz media day. “You might not know that he’s out there but he’s making the right play.

He’s in help side, using his voice, he’s just blending in with the flow of the game.

Every basketball player makes mistakes, especially rookies who are just trying to get a feel for a new team and system and style of play and pace of game and, and, and.

There is a lot to digest when making the leap from the collegiate ranks to the pros.

But every once in a while there are players who feel like they come to the NBA, mentally ready-made.

They just instinctually understand not only where they are supposed to be at all times, but what their role is. That’s Cody Williams.

“That’s just his demeanor, period,” Jordan Clarkson said of Williams.

“Being in the right spots, that’s a skill of its own, and I really haven’t seen him make too many mistakes — in practice and in the game.

Most of the time he’s in the right spots, he’s trying to make the right plays.”

While the Jazz were seeing this side of Williams behind closed doors during open gym runs over the summer, the rest of us had to wait until the preseason to get a glimpse of how Williams would fare alongside his new teammates.

And, as George had eluded to on media day, Williams has seemed to blend in, but in exactly the right way.