John Jenkins has a new facet to his game.
The Hawks guard may be known for his outside shooting but a new-found quickness has resulted in an ability to drive to the basket. Jenkins showed off that addition to his game in the Hawks’ 93-87 exhibition victory over the Pelicans Monday at Philips Arena. He returned to the court after a back injury limited him to just 13 games last season before February surgery and scored a team-high 13 points.
Jenkins, the former first-round pick, went 5 of 7 from the field. His first four baskets were layups and he converted two free throws after being fouled on a drive.
“I’ve been doing that a lot all summer because I’ve gotten faster,” Jenkins said of his drives to the basket. “I lost a little weight and I’ve worked on my core and I just became faster so I started to use it to my advantage. Guys are going to press up on me, like they did tonight, I’m going to get in the lane and get a few layups and drop off passes. It’s a new element to my game I guess.”
His final field goal was a 3-pointer, for what Jenkins is known, that opened after the Pelicans finally respected his ability to get in the lane. Jenkins also had six rebounds in 24 minutes as he started at shooting guard for Kyle Korver.
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“We are all excited for John to be healthy,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “You can see his confidence in practice. You can feel his confidence even when he’s just walking around the facility. He’s got a bounce.”
Budenholzer was most impressed with Jenkins’ rebounding. Jenkins said he took a shot to the face from the Pelicans’ Patric Young while mixing it up down low. There was also a scary moment when he injured his ankle while coming down with a rebound late in the game. He received treatment and declared himself fit for practice Tuesday.
“(Budenholzer’s) always taking about guard-rebounding so if I want to play, I have to rebound,” Jenkins said.
Some other observations from the exhibition opener:
* Mike Muscala was impressive with his offensive and defensive activity. He finished with a double-double of 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. The center will earn minutes during the regular season with his play. Budenholzer cited Muscala’s length in creating several opportunities and he tracked down several loose balls.
“I was just playing within the offense and bring energy,” Muscala said. “I was just trying to be active on the boards. I think that is something I can bring to the team this year.”
* Mike Scott picked up right where he left off last season – and then some. The third-year forward finished with 11 points, including two 3-pointers, and five rebounds in 23 minutes. He was even asked for a stretch to guard the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis in the block.
“I’m just trying to move the ball and play with the pass more,” Scott said of his offseason work to improve. “Everybody know I can score. I’m just trying to work on other areas – rebounding, defense, play with the pass.”
* Thabo Sefolosha is going to be a nice fit to the Hawks roster. The free-agent signee finished with nine points, seven rebounds and a team-high three steals in his 26 minutes. He started in place of DeMarre Carroll (ankle). He had four turnovers but several were caused by trying to make the extra pass. In addition to his offense, Budenholzer cited Sefolosha’s defense and court awareness.
“It went well,” Sefolosha said. “It was a good first one for us. I think the energy was high. The communication was important for most of the game. We still have things to work on.”
* Dennis Schroder still shows glimpses of what he can eventually be a point guard. The second-year player had nine points, four assists and two rebounds. However, he had a game-high six turnovers. At one point in the fourth quarter, after the Pelicans cut a 21-point deficit to three, Schroder scored four straight points on a driving layup and two free throws. He followed that with two fouls and a turnover. He still appears to be behind Shelvin Mack on the point guard depth chart.
Notes: Rounding out the scoring for the Hawks were Jeff Teague (11), Paul Millsap (8), Mack (7), Jarell Eddie (6), Elton Brand (5) and rookie Adreian Payne (4). Payne's first basket was a dunk on a pass from Jenkins. … Al Hoford (pectoral muscle), Pero Antic (broken nose), Kent Bazemore (foot), Carroll (ankle), Korver (personal reasons) and Dexter Pittman (coach's decision) did not play. … Teague started the game wearing corrective goggles but quickly abandoned them. … Hawks players, coaches and staff got flu shots following the game.
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