Earlier this month, the Atlanta Hawks and point guard Jarrett Jack agreed on a one-year contract heading into the 2016-2017 season.

The 32 year old led his Georgia Tech team to the national title game in 2004, and he's been a mainstay in the NBA ever since.

During a Q&A with ESPN’s Mike Mazzeo, Jack made it clear why he chose to make his return to the ATL:

“There were a few teams interested,” Jack said. “Considering that I live in Atlanta, I played college ball down there and the people of Georgia are familiar with me, I thought it just made sense on a lot of fronts. I was flattered that they called and wanted to take a chance on me, knowing that I’m coming off knee surgery, but I’m willing to prove to everybody that I’m more than capable of withstanding the physical challenges of the season and just contributing to the team.”

When asked about the departure of former Hawks big man Al Horford and arrival of Dwight Howard, Jack was full of praise for the Al but seemed positive about what the latter can bring to the table:

“They replaced one All-Star with another,” he stated. “They’re two different types of big men. Dwight’s more of your traditional 7-footer, while Al is more of that floor spacer hybrid center, so to speak.”

With the departure of Jeff Teague, Atlanta is due to hand young German point guard Dennis Schroder the keys to their offense. Jack is aware that his role will be to support Schroder and provide a spark off the bench. He had nothing but good things to say about Dennis:

“I like him (Schroder). I think the biggest tool he uses is a lot people call him a bit of a pest. He gets under a lot of people’s skin, but he goes out there and competes, and that’s something everyone can respect about him. He’s a very talented kid, fast and crafty.”

Hawks fans will hope that Jack can produce from the bench this year as they look to begin a new era without All-Stars Horford and Teague.

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