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Despite earning their fourth consecutive postseason berth and recording their deepest playoff run since 1994 the Atlanta Hawks enter the off season facing more questions than ever about the future the direction of the organization.

On a national level the Hawks were viewed to have little to no chance of upsetting the number one seeded Chicago Bulls in the second round of this year’s playoffs; however Atlanta fans have been extremely vocal of their disappointment with the six game elimination which in turn may force the Hawks’ front office to initiate some major changes in the locker room.

As the salary cap stands today with over $63 million committed on the books for 2012, the Hawks don’t have much flexibility in terms of bringing in a top tier talent without paying the luxury tax – a place where their ownership structure has routinely avoided.

Keeping things in total perspective the Hawks’ roster features two established All-Stars, another with All-Star talent, a former sixth man of the year and an emerging young point guard.

There are definitely a plethora of teams around the league in a worst predicament than the Hawks heading into 2012, but nonetheless Atlanta still has work to do in order to keep themselves relevant in the suddenly ultra-competitive Eastern Conference power structure.

1. Free Joe Johnson

Five-time All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson signed the most lucrative deal during the 2010 free agency period which featured players such as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh.

The Hawks ultimately believe Johnson is the player who can push the club past the second round of the postseason for the first time in over forty years. 

But the time is ticking.

Johnson will be 30 next month and is approaching the age where high volume scoring guards typically decline rapidly (see Tracy McGrady and Michael Redd).  Simply put, the Hawks must simply ride his talents more than ever if their postseason luck is going to change in the near future while he’s still in his prime.

Johnson averaged 18.2 points per game this season which was his lowest output since the 2005 campaign. No question it was a disappointing season for the former University of Arkansas standout, but the blame cannot be placed entirely on the veteran.

When head coach Larry Drew took over for the dismissed Mike Woodson last year, there was a growing frustration amongst those following the team that the squad employed too much of a "Isolation Joe" strategy on offense – where the squad would clear out one side of the court and allow Johnson to break his opponent down off the dribble one-on-one.

So Drew promised to abandon a lot of this philosophy by implementing a motion offense focused on ball movement and balanced scoring which took the ball out of Johnson’s hands considerably.

Drew also routinely stated he wished to reduce the wear and tear on Johnson having to carry the team on a nightly basis, which in turn limited his minutes (lowest since 2003) and shot attempts (lowest since 2006).

Throw in early season elbow surgery on his shooting arm with the role change and it’s no surprise to anyone who followed the team extensively that Johnson’s numbers were down.

But if Drew’s plan was to keep Johnson fresh for the playoffs, he never unleashed him once the team reached the destination and that’s what the Hawks clearly need before the inevitable decline sets in.

Johnson’s shot attempts during the playoffs went up less than half a tenth. While guys like Bulls guard (and league MVP) Derrick Rose (+3.5) and Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (+2.1) increased their offensive aggressiveness tremendously. 

  A return to more of "Isolation Joe" may not be too much of a bad thing if utilized correctly.

2. Decision Time: Al Horford or Josh Smith

There are more than a few teams around the league who would literally trade a good chunk of their current rosters to acquire players with the talent Horford and Smith possess.

Unfortunately the Horford and Smith connection has been somewhat of a gift and curse for the Hawks.

While both players are immensely talented they continue to develop into too similar of a player.

Horford, a two-time All-Star selection, never backs down when asked about his desire to play power forward full-time in the lineup. Horford’s father, Tito Horford, a former NBA player has also chimed in on the issue of getting his son away from center duties in order to preserve his career longevity.

On the other hand, Smith is a borderline All-Star in his own right and has clearly established himself as one of the most versatile power forwards in the game even earning All-Defensive team honors in 2010. 

{AUTHOR_BOX} The Hawks as a team have absolutely no inside offensive presence because both players’ penchant for perimeter jump shooting. 

Horford would likely return more assets in a potential trade, but he has the higher upside and could develop into a 20/10 threat in the next 2-3 years.

While Smith remains a fan favorite in Atlanta (erratic jump shooting aside), his trade value around the league is stable and he could easily yield a solid mix of talent and draft picks for his services. 

The Hawks have significant holes in their roster at small forward and some would even argue center since it’s not Horford’s natural position.

Given the Hawks’ position to the salary cap as a team, a deal must be made because outside of Johnson who is basically untradeable coming off a down year and with his cap number, Horford or Smith brings in the most bang for the buck in the open market.

3. Give Jeff Teague the Keys of the Offense

After playing only nine minutes in the Hawks’ six game elimination of the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs, the second year Teague was thrust into starting duty versus Chicago when Kirk Hinrich suffered a leg injury.

Teague responded in a huge fashion.

In the first five games of the Chicago series Teague averaged 17 points per game which included three games of 20+ points. Plus he was tasked with guarding the most explosive scoring point guard in the league in Rose. 

It’s become clear Teague plays at a much higher level when he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder at the bench every time he may commit an on court error.

With Hinrich out of the lineup and no other reliable point guard on the roster Teague played the best basketball of his career and 40 minutes per game in the series’ first five contests.

Heading into the 2012 campaign it’s time for the Hawks to finally make the commitment to Teague in order to see if he has the goods to handle the reins full-time.

4. Pay Jamal Crawford

After a pay me or trade me demand before the start of training camp and early season struggles related to pressing due to his upcoming free agent status Crawford handled the situation like a true professional.

Overall, Crawford’s numbers were down from his Sixth Man of the Year campaign in 2010 but he was a huge factor in the team’s first round upset of the Magic.

Crawford is 31 and isn’t the player he once was, but he still has a few solid seasons left in his tank.

Winning basketball is about team cohesion, chemistry and unity. It would be extremely hard to integrate someone new into the Hawks’ lineup to fill the large role Crawford occupies in an offseason. The Hawks players trust Crawford and he’s an outstanding locker room presence for the team.

Additionally, Atlanta traded away the emerging Jordan Crawford to Washington when they acquired Hinrich at the trade deadline so the Hawks have no one in place behind Johnson at shooting guard if they let Crawford go in free agency.

There will be a few free agent options available this summer such as J.R. Smith and Michael Redd but Crawford already has the familiarity with the organization, clearly accepts his role and most importantly still has game left.

Typically, it isn’t a wise move to re-sign veterans a little past their prime to multi-year deals but in this case with no other viable options on the roster at shooting guard to develop – pay Crawford or some other playoff team will.

5. Retool on the Fly – Actively Look to Deal

While the Hawks gave up their 2011 first round pick in the Hinrich deal, the club should still actively look to get into the upcoming draft to refill their youth pipeline and find a diamond in the rough.

The club has actively tried to deal forward Marvin Williams in the past but found no takers because of the price tag. The Hawks should revisit this path now since Williams has just two years remaining at $16.9 million (ETO of $8 million in 2014).

Referring to step two, the team desperately needs an interior presence.

Not necessarily a guy who can score 15 points a game, just a guy who wants to live on the interior. As strong as Jason Collins was as a defensive presence this season, he doesn’t have the game at this point in his career to cause matchup problems for opponents.

Potential centers on the market this summer (who aren’t commanding huge bucks) are Nenad Krstic, Nazr Mohammed, Spencer Hawes (restricted) and Greg Oden (restricted).

There have long been rumors of the Los Angeles Clippers making former All-Star Chris Kaman available for the right mix of talent. 

Now more than ever it’s clear the Hawks need to make a move. The franchise isn’t as far away from title contention most would lead you to believe, but they need to execute the right moves from here forward to get there while Johnson still is a top three shooting guard.