Dahntay Jones had a good first impression of the Hawks, his new team. Jones arrived in Atlanta and passed his physical in time for Friday night’s victory over the Kings. The forward even got on the floor for 2:27 of the 122-108 blowout win.
“I’m very excited for their attitude on the defensive end,” Jones said after his Hawks debut. “It starts with that. How they move the ball and run the floor, that is a great asset to have as a team. We had (33) assists and only six turnovers, that is a wonderful thing.”
Jones, 6-foot-6, was acquired from the Mavericks on Thursday in an NBA trade deadline move that sent Anthony Morrow to Dallas. The Hawks also acquired forward/center Jeremy Tyler and cash considerations from the Warriors for future considerations. Tyler, 6-10, was inactive for this first game with the Hawks.
Jones said he had a brief conversation with coach Larry Drew about his role. He said he would begin to learn the Hawks system to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
“He knows what I bring to the table and how hard I play and how I can help,” Jones said. “I’m just here to help if need be and try to keep this train moving in the right direction.”
The Hawks will use Jones as a wing defender, a role the 10-year veteran said he is comfortable playing.
“Dahntay brings us a physical, tough, athletic wing defender who can be important for us in certain matchups,” Hawks general manager Danny Ferry said. “We like to think we have a good balance of skill and athletic physicality that gives Larry options as he is making decisions.”
Tyler, in his second year, admitted to be caught off guard by the trade.
“Being in my second year and I found a home in the Bay Area and, knowing that anything can happen for the first time, it always feels a little awkward, a little weird,” Tyler said. “At the end of the day it’s still basketball. You are still living the dream. Now, you are going to a place where you can work on your game, hopefully find a place to play and just be an all-around good teammate.”
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