Since Eric Maynor doesn’t dwell on the past, at the very least we’ll make mention of what he did during a rookie season that saw him start out with one team (Utah), get traded to another (Oklahoma City) and finish with some key playoff experience.
Maynor helped the Thunder to a 37-18 record after he was acquired from Utah in a Dec. 22 trade and led all rookies in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.13. Maynor, the No. 20 pick of the 2009 NBA draft, averaged 4.7 points, 3.3 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 82 games.
We caught up with Maynor, who was in town last week.So what brings you back to Oklahoma City so soon?
“I just wanted to come down here. I’m going to be off and on, coming back here to get some work in.”What have been some of the highlights to your summer so far?
“Really, when the season was over, I took two weeks off and went to the Bahamas. I’ve been to Vegas. But now it’s time to get back to work.”So a trip back here had been in the works?
“Oh yeah. This was all in the plan before the season had ended when my agent and I were talking about coming back here and getting more comfortable, working with the coaching staff and things like that.”Have you taken time to reflect on everything that happened during your rookie season, from being traded to making the playoffs?
“Nah, I try to live in the moment, in the present. That’s in the past now, so I’ve just got to continue to get better and work on my game here.”What are some things you’re working on this offseason?
“I just want to get stronger and put on more weight. I’ve been working on my jumper, working on being better defensively. Stuff like that. Just the little things. My plan is to get better every day. Get better every day and put more trust in my teammates and coaches.”Where’s your offseason home, back in North Carolina?
“No, in Virginia, right near my old school (Virginia Commonwealth).”The Thunder’s going to play a preseason game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, where you played your senior year of high school. Have you played there before?
“I just found that out. I played there in high school for a holiday classic that goes on during Christmas time. All the teams are there. It’s a good tournament.”
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