Updated: July 20, 2011, 11:52 pm ET

NBA PM: Hawks Talk Trades

Hawks Players Don’t Want Trades?

Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions could find his way to the Atlanta Hawks, according to a report by Ken Berger of CBSsports.com. The biggest revelation of the report isn’t Atlanta’s need for backcourt depth (reserve point guard Jeff Teague only averages 11.6 MPG). Rather, Berger writes that the Hawks are willing to spend up to, or perhaps even exceed the luxury tax threshold.

It’s one thing if GM Rick Sund wants to dig deep to get over the playoff hump against Boston, Orlando and Miami; but it’s worth noting that the team is currently 34-21 and the players aren’t pushing anyone to increase spending.

“We’re here and this is the team,” forward Josh Smith told HOOPSWORLD. “I think everybody has to stay focused and not really worry about the outside distractions—whether you’re going to get traded. We just got to go out and play with a clear mind and be ready. That’s when teams are at their best: when we’re just worrying about having fun instead of worrying about the negativity.”

Obviously the core group of Smith, Al Horford, Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Marvin Williams haven’t propelled the team past the conference semifinals. Even last season’s addition of Jamal Crawford wasn’t enough to get to the conference finals—a level the franchise has yet to reach in Atlanta.

But while some see a stagnant team, the Hawks see themselves as a close-knit, battle-tested group.

“I think you can look at it both ways,” Crawford told HOOPSWORLD. “Hopefully we can go out there and prove our fans right—that we did the right thing sticking together. The one thing I know for sure is that we have continuity. We’ve stayed together so guys know each other and there’s no surprises. Hopefully that plays to our advantage.”

So rather than a group of new faces, first-year coach Larry Drew is teaching the same old Hawks some new tricks. Specifically, he made a focused effort to wean Atlanta away from isolation plays and push the team towards a motion offense.

“I just think it’s benefitted us as a whole, throughout the whole season,” Smith said. “We’ve been doing a good job of sharing the basketball. You really can’t zero in on one or two players if you play that way.”

By abstaining from isolation plays, the team has become less reliant on Johnson and Crawford. The pair have seen a dip in their field goal attempts and scoring averages, but Horford, Smith and Williams are all shooting and scoring more than last year.

“I think it’s new opportunities for guys who are confident, and now they feel like they have the freedom to shoot,” Crawford said. “I think guys play harder when they have that.”

The problem is, the Hawks old system may have worked better. Last season under Mike Woodson Atlanta ranked third in offensive efficiency (points scored per 100 possessions). This year, under Drew, the team has slipped to 15th.

The Atlanta Hawks players may feel comfortable with each other, but the team may have to make a move or suffer another early postseason exit.

For more on the subject, check out HOOPSWORLD’s Lang Greene and his take on the Hawks’ trade situation.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Could the NBA Put Ads on Jerseys?

Former NASCAR executive and current Nets President Brett Yormark drew some attention last year when he sold ad space on the team’s practice jerseys.

Now a company called Horizon Media has conducted a study claiming that gameday jersey ads could generate up to $370 million per year in this country.

“The study evaluated each of the top 20 teams in the National Football league, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League based on media market size,” wrote Lee Igel of Forbes.com. “According to the study, which looked at factors such as logo size, cost of a 30-second commercial, frequency of brand viewed per game, and length of time a brand is visible, it is estimated that the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and New York Giants could each command $14,011,721 per year in jersey sponsorship. This amount sets them atop the NFL and overall lists. But now consider that this together represents just short of nine percent of the overall projected amount for all sports. Should there be a lockout, even if everything else is somehow held constant, by how much and which direction is the number likely to change.”
 

As for the top NBA teams, the study says that the Lakers could pull in over $4 million while the Celtics and Knicks would make just under $3 million per year.

It’s hard to imagine the iconic Celtics jersey emblazoned with a “Jam’n 94.5″ ad across the back, but it’s a possibility. I’m sure Manchester United wanted to resist putting ads on jerseys, but they surrendered that fight a long time ago. The NBA could be next.

Wesley Matthews is a Perfect Fit

Once in awhile a player just fits.

David Robinson and Alonzo Mourning weren’t simply All-Star centers. Thanks to a laundry list of charitable endeavors, they were community leaders within just a few short years of moving to San Antonio and Miami respectively.

This season, first-year Trail Blazers Wesley Matthews has given Portland solid defense and good perimeter shooting on the court. Off the court, he’s given to the city’s Boys and Girls Clubs, as a spokesman and contributor, and to the Police Activities League. Because of his charitable work in Oregon, Matthews was named the February 2011 Player of the Month by the Sports Generosity, which is an organization “that identifies the contributions made by professional athletes for the community.”

Matthews’ work with the Police Activities League benefited locals in need of holiday meals, clothing, shoes and other accessories while his association with the Boys and Girls Clubs has led to several basketball clinics and recruitment efforts on behalf of the organization.

Matthews is averaging 16.5 PPG while making 39.6% of his 3-point attempts and 83.3% of his free throw attempts for the Blazers.

All-Star Game By the Numbers

Sunday’s All-Star Game in Los Angeles promises to be one of the most widely watched broadcasts of the year, not just domestically, but internationally as well.

Here are a few facts and figures that the NBA is handing out to the media:

The ASG will be presented in 215 countries and 43 languages thanks to the 1,800+ media in attendance (that includes 431 international reporters). Six international players were selected to this year’s ASG: Yao Ming (China), Pau Gasol (Spain), Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Al Horford (Dominican Republic) and Manu Ginobili (Argentina).

Once again, Kobe Bryant was the leading vote getter with 2,380,016 ballots in his name. His NBA Finals nemesis Kevin Garnett will be making his 14th appearance, which ties him with Jerry West, Karl Malone and Shaquille O’Neal.

Twitter:  HOOPSWORLD has launched a new Twitter module where we will be releasing more breaking news and insider-type information via Twitter. Make sure you are following all of our guys to insure you are getting the very latest from our team: @stevekylerNBA, @AlexKennedyNBA, @jfleminghoops, @TheRocketGuy, @EricPincus, @joelbrigham, @alexraskin82, @stephenlitel, @TommyBeer and @YannisHW.

NBA Chats: HOOPSWORLD rookie Lang Greene will host his NBA chat tonight at 8pm EST. Lang covers the Atlanta Hawks and the Eastern Conference. Get your questions in early. You can always find the next NBA chat here: Upcoming NBA Chats.

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