NBA Playoffs 2012: It's Time to Break Up the Atlanta Hawks

Since the Atlanta Hawks first came together for a playoff push in 2007, the NBA has been in awe of one of the flashiest Big Three's around. Joe Johnson is considered to be one of the best shooting guards in the NBA, while Josh Smith and Al Horford make up one of the most dynamic frontcourts in all of professional basketball.

Five long years later, it's time to abandon ship and move on to the next method of attaining glory.

There is no denying the talent this group possesses, as all three members of their trio deserve to be an All-Star on a year-to-year basis. The fact of the matter is, however, they've never made it past the Eastern Conference semifinals and have yet to win a division crown.

Why continue putting faith into something that isn't working?

The Hawks will continue to be the team that can beat anyone on any given evening, but let's face it: So much money is tied up in these three players that it's impossible to build a contender around them. Even Kirk Hinrich's departure into free agency can't change that fact.

Johnson is currently signed to a six-year, $123.7 million contract while Horford, Smith and Marvin Williams all make upwards of $37 million. The Hawks also have three players making less than $1 million and eight players signed to one-year deals.

Correction, seven; Erick Dampier signed a 31-day contract.

So to the Hawks' fans who are determined to keep their favorite trio together, riddle me this: How will your team ever win a title when they've spent more money on three players than the Boston Celtics spent on their entire starting five?

Spoiler Alert: They won't.

As much as I would like to see the members of the Atlanta Hawks walk home with the NBA title, there are only two plausible options to make that work: either break up the team or restructure the Big Three's, most importantly Joe Johnson's, contracts.

With the lack of team loyalty and desire to restructure in today's NBA, I simply don't see that happening.