Decent debut for Utah Jazz's first-round pick

MAITLAND, Fla. — Eric Maynor has participated in many important basketball games in his young career.

En route to becoming the Jazz's first-round draft pick he has enjoyed a respectable level of individual success. While starring at Virginia Commonwealth, Maynor played the role of hero in several big moments – his 2007 game-winning shot against Duke being the most notable. His college success, however, didn't prevent the 2008-09 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year from feeling butterflies before his first professional game.

"Just coming into the game I got a lot of jitters," Maynor said. "Nervous as I don't know what to get out there and say I played an NBA game."

Maynor played a solid game in his pro debut, an 87-56 loss to Boston. Scoring nine points and handing out four assists – without committing a turnover in 24 minutes – the 22-year-old guard looked very comfortable as he directed the Jazz's offense. Getting to the basket with considerable ease, he showcased the quickness that helped him climb to the top of Virginia Commonwealth's all-time scoring list.

"He can get in the lane," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "He didn't finish a lot of shots tonight, but he did a pretty good job of being patient, seeing where the gaps were, getting in the lane and being able to get a shot or make a good pass within the interior."

More impressive than Maynor's quick drives to the basket was the rookie's command of the Jazz offense. Young point guards often get lost when they're in the early learning stages of their careers. The point guard position, for a young player, is arguably the hardest job of all. He didn't make the task look easy, but he also didn't look like it's going to take him a long time to catch on.

"It really is (hard) when you have a system like ours," Corbin said. "You have so much stuff going on. It's a lot for a young guy to learn, but he's doing a good job so far."

Maynor is off to a good start, but obviously there is still a lot for him to learn. He received his first lesson Monday night, a very important lesson: Come to play or you'll get blown away. The Celtics held the Jazz to only six second-quarter points en route to a 31-point victory.

"It's our first time playing together in a real game," Maynor said. "In the beginning we just got down too far. We'll just bounce back tomorrow."

Shooting 4-for-9 from the field, Maynor wasn't able to give his team much of an offensive lift, something the rookie acknowledged after his pro debut.

"Maybe I can make some more shots," he said. "Maybe I can get some teammates more involved."

The rookie will have the rest of the week to help his summer league team improve its performance and much longer to work on his individual game. Maynor's career has been a testimony to the rewards of hard work and he doesn't plan on easing up.

"I'm up for the challenge," he said. "I'm just going to try to learn from veterans every day to try and get better."