Utah Jazz Notes

Just in case you needed any reminders that Thursday’s game was the preseason, Deron Williams left the Jazz’s huddle during the final timeout with 2:21 left to slingshot T-shirts into the crowd with the stunt team.

You could also spot Kyle Korver’s brother Klayton flashing updates from the stands with the score from the Phillies-Dodgers game.

After the game, Williams playfully teased Kosta Koufos about the Jonas Brothers backpack he’s going to be wearing the rest of the preseason. The Jazz, like a lot of teams, are making their rookies wear little girl backpacks as part of their initiation into the NBA.

Though he’s in his second year, Koufos is still being considered a rookie until the Jazz’s first regular season game. In fact, Koufos is the “rookie captain,” in Williams’ words, and had first choice of backpacks as a result.

He picked the Jonas Brothers, with Williams incredulous that somebody would choose the boy band over a pink princess backpack. (Seriously, Williams looked at me like I was crazy when I seconded the Jonas Brothers pick.)

Nobody caught more grief, though, than Eric Maynor, who wore slacks and a shirt and tie to the game because his mother is in town.

Maynor even admitted that he’d hoped to have dressed and left the locker room before Williams came back from getting treatment and hopping in the shower. That’s how bad he knew he was going to get it.

It’s clear that Williams is fond of Maynor. Williams found Maynor’s shower shoes in front of his stall and joked that Maynor not only was going to take his locker but take his job the way he’s been playing.

Maynor had 14 points, five assists and hit two fourth-quarter three-pointers in Thursday’s game. If nothing else, Maynor has made his case for a bigger role than a lot of us probably expected when he was drafted back in June.

Asked if Maynor was ahead of what he’d expect for a rookie point guard, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said: “Yeah, he is for the most part. Deron was awfully good when he came in as a rookie. 

“I think [Maynor] understands what’s going on. He’s picked up quite a few little nuances since he’s come in. Fortunately, he was here for the summer. He was with us in Orlando and had a chance to see what we’re trying to do and he picked up things very quick.”

Maynor said: “I knew when I had got drafted, I knew this was the right situation for me, just learning from guys like Deron and then you’ve got coach Sloan out here. Learning from these guys, I think it’s great.”

The most impressive stat so far is that Maynor has totaled 16 assists against four turnovers through four games. Not a bad ratio for a No. 20 overall pick eager to contribute as a rookie.

--Ross Siler