Who is Jock Landale? New Hawks center makes a big first impression in debut.

The 48 hours leading up to Thursday’s game between the Hawks and Jazz was a wild ride for newly acquired center Jock Landale.

At 1:41 p.m. Tuesday, the world learned the Grizzlies included Landale in a deal that sent Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. to the Jazz. And 27 hours later, at 4:41 p.m. Wednesday, everyone learned Landale would be rerouted to the Hawks in Atlanta.

Landale never even touched down in Salt Lake City.

Instead, the 6-foot-11 center got word he needed to get off the plane because plans had changed. So, he returned to his home in Memphis, spent time with his wife and son, then hit the road for a 5½ hour drive.

“Sitting on the plane with Vince and John and Jaren — Jaren was actually late, which kind of saved me the flight. So, I appreciate that from him,” Landale joked, following Thursday’s win over the Jazz. “But yeah, sitting there, got word from the boys that I was likely being traded. So they told me to get off the plane, and then just kind of waited on the official word. From there, I managed to go home to the family for 15, 20 minutes, take my son for a walk.

“And then, (the Hawks), they obviously offered to fly me in the following morning, but I kind of said, ‘If I’m looking to play that next night, I want to get there as soon as possible.’ So I loaded up the truck and hit the road for 5½ hours. So, yeah, it’s been a (weird) couple days, which has been fun.”

Landale’s friends and family kept him company on the phone the whole way down from Memphis and heightened his excitement for the new life ahead.

Landale, who signed with the Spurs in 2021 after an MVP season with Melbourne United, had little time to acclimate, making it to Atlanta with enough time to attend the Hawks’ shootaround Thursday morning. He had an opportunity to meet with the coaching staff to nail down a few plays and general team concepts.

“Having someone with the experience that Jock has, and I’m glad you didn’t get pulled over with expiring plates and not make it here last night,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “He drove in last night from Memphis. I asked him today, ‘Ready to go? I want to throw you in there.’”

And the Hawks really did throw him in the deep end, after just one shootaround, with starting center Onyeka Okongwu out after surgery to repair a dental fracture.

Part of the fun included a bit of a historic debut for the Melbourne, Australia, native. In 31 minutes, Landale tied his career high with 26 points. He set a new career high in 3-pointers made, converting five — including the go-ahead triple with 46 seconds to play. He also had 11 rebounds, five assists and four blocks.

“I commend him,” Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker said of Landale’s drive to Atlanta. “(Timberwolves center) Joe Ingles, who sent me a text earlier, (talked) just about the type of person he is, type of player he is, and how we would love playing with him. And he was not wrong. Just the way he came in.

“I’ve always had respect for him in playing against him, knowing that he’s gonna fight hard, knowing that he’s going to rebound and he’s going to apply himself to the game. … You can see he really cares. And the type of person he is, great dude, team dude, and fits right (in).”

Alexander-Walker and the rest of the team helped Landale get acclimated. The Hawks communicated every play of the game with him. But Landale, who played on the Australian team at the Paris Olympics with Dyson Daniels, said he felt the familiarity helped even more than the standard.

Daniels assisted Landale on three of his field goals. Landale also assisted Daniels on three of his five field goals.

“I’ve been around, what is it, nine teams in nine years, or something like that, and every year, it’s different faces that I haven’t come across before,” Landale said. “So, this is the first time I’ve really come into a franchise and had somebody that I’ve known very well, played with for years. And, yeah, that goes a long way just, just understanding what he’s trying to do. And, you know, helps me look good, more than anything. Appreciate Dyson for that.”

Landale is in the midst of a career season, and after Thursday’s Hawks debut, he’s already left an impression on the team’s fan base.