SALT LAKE CITY (ABC-4 Sports) - Eric Maynor and Goran Suton each took long and unpredictable roads to the NBA. Maynor played in relative anonymity at tiny Virginia Commonwealth University, while Suton and his family were refugees from war-torn Bosnia.
Maynor went on to become VCU's all-time leader in points and assists, and became the first ever player from the school to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Maynor realizes Deron Williams is the present and the future of the Jazz, but he hopes to learn from Williams and possibly even play at the same time with him.
Maynor says he is a pass-first pure point guard, and makes the game easier for his teammates. However, he also has the ability to score as evidenced by his 22 point average during his senior season at VCU.
Coincidentally, Maynor's father George was cut by Jerry Sloan some 30 years ago when Sloan was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Maynor says his dad doesn't hold a grudge, though, and is now a fan of the Jazz.
Seeing where Suton has come from, he was understandably overjoyed when the Jazz selected him with the 50th overall pick. He and his family fled Bosnia and settled with other family members in Michigan. 10 years later, Suton is in the NBA.
Suton also has a Utah connection. His assistant coach at Michigan State is current Utes head coach Jim Boylen. Suton credits Boylen for getting his body in shape, and getting him ready to play at the next level. As a 6-10 center who can shoot, pass and defend, Suton hopes to bring versatility to the Jazz front line.
