Utah Jazz feel backup point in good hands

Deron Williams gave about as big of a compliment as a starting point guard can dish out Tuesday night.

The praise was almost akin to the trust shown when a father hands over the keys of his car to a dependable teenager.

When asked about the backup point-guard position after his team's open scrimmage at EnergySolutions Arena, Williams quickly and confidently claimed to feel "very comfortable" about the two guys behind him on the bench.

In other words, Williams can rest a bit easier this season when he hands the keys to the Jazz over to reserves Ronnie Price and/or rookie Eric Maynor.

"I think it's probably our best point-guard crew," he said.

Williams briefly interrupted his thought while reflecting back to having steady veteran Derek Fisher on the squad a few years ago, but then continued with his confident to-the-point assessment of this guard group.

"Fish was here, but he was here for such a short time," Williams said. "This is a solid crew we have at point guard."

As has been the case throughout the preseason, Price and Maynor each had some shining moments during the scrimmage.

Price, who was re-signed by the Jazz for two years this past offseason, showed off his explosive athleticism and dunking skills, pleasing the crowd with a right-handed rebound stuff, a soaring left-handed leaning smash and a breakaway two-handed rim-rattler.

"I wish I would've got a windmill in there," he said, laughing. "It was fun..."

Maynor didn't have as flashy of a showing, but he was composed in running his team's offense while going mostly up against Deron Williams. The rookie's biggest (and funniest) mistake during his seven-point, four-assist outing might've been when he thought the refs should've stopped action to allow Ronnie Brewer to tie his shoelaces.

Williams ended up scoring a game-high 14 points and his team cruised past Maynor's squad 70-46, but the first-year player from Virginia Commonwealth University did nothing to take away the confidence his mentor already has in him.

"He does a lot of the same stuff I do — change of pace, change of direction," Williams said. "He's good with making you think he's not going away and then 'Boom!' he's gone. He's not the most quick. He's not the most athletic, but he can get there."