John Jenkins discusses time spent in D-League

Atlanta Hawks rookie John Jenkins is back with the team after spending some time in the NBA Development League. Jenkins was impressed with the talent level in the D-League and said he knew he needed to play hard while he was there.

"There is definitely some talent down there," Jenkins said. "There are a lot of guys fighting for spots to come up here, so they want to impress people. I knew me being a call-down there would be pressure on me, with those guys trying to go at me. I had to match their intensity and go at them, too."

Jenkins, who attended college at Vanderbilt, has appeared in four games for the Hawks this season, playing sparingly in each case. His last appearance came on Nov. 24, and he has not scored a point since Nov. 11.

Jenkins and the Hawks resume play on Friday against the Washington Wizards. Atlanta is in second place in the Southeast Division, 1.5 games behind Miami.