Atlanta Hawks recall guard John Jenkins from D-League

Just one week after being sent to the Bakersfield Jam (the D-League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks), former 1st-round pick John Jenkins is on his way back to Atlanta.

In a vacuum, it isn’t surprising to see a 2012 1st-round pick being “promoted” back to the NBA, but it was surprising that Jenkins was sent down in the first place. In his rookie season of 2012-2013, the 22-year sharpshooter appeared in 61 games for a playoff-bound Hawks team, shooting an impressive 38.4% from 3-point land while averaging 6.1 points per game in under 15 minutes. However, that production sharply declined this season (23.5% 3-PT, 3.3 ppg), and that precipitated his exile.

Jenkins has excelled with the Bakersfield club, however, as he reminded everyone of his scoring prowess with over 21 points per game while playing alongside 2013 1st-rounder, Dennis Schröder. Unfortunately for Jenkins, though, his playing time when he arrives in Atlanta (which will be on Friday night against Washington, according to the team’s official release) may be very limited.

Jenkins was sent to the D-League right around the time when Lou Williams was getting healthy for the Hawks, and with that and the excellent play from starting shooting guard Kyle Korver, it’ll be a stretch to see playing time for the young guard. Still, it’s unquestionably a good sign for Hawks fans to see him coming back, and perhaps that 1st-round selection is looking more redeemable.