Former Tech standout Mario West aims for a three-peat

By Sekou Smith

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mario West realizes that you already know his story.

He wasn’t supposed to make it. The odds were stacked too high against him. The fairy tale was supposed to have ended happily with the former Georgia Tech standout winning a job with the hometown Hawks as a rookie free agent and lasting one season.

That was two years ago, but West wasn't satisfied. So he did it again last year. Now he aims to pull off a third, parlaying the electric bundle of energy that emanates from his body on a daily basis into yet another strong training-camp performance and eventual employment.

The only problem this time around is that he really isn't supposed to make it. The odds are stacked higher than ever. Still, West refuses to accept anything other than his own preferred ending to this story.

"I know the game has a changed a bit for me three [seasons] in," West said after practice Friday. "But for me it's just about being in a good situation, where I have an opportunity. Unfortunately, a lot of teams still question whether I can play in this league or belong in this league. So I'm trying to prove myself all over again while still trying to make a team."

Not everyone needs convincing.

Hawks guard Jamal Crawford has seen West up close for only a little over a week, but he's already a huge fan.

"Wow," Crawford said, walking over to West's locker as he praised him. "This guy brings it every single day. It's fun to watch, man. I'm definitely a fan. This guy goes so hard, it's impressive."

Currying favor with the Hawks' brass has not been a problem either. Making the team, though, remains a complicated affair. Even with all that they know about West and what he brings, keeping him on the team the past two years didn't cost nearly as much as it will this year if he makes the team. The minimum salary for a player with West's experience is right around $1 million, basically twice as much as he made as a rookie.

"Hey, you've got to earn your stripes," said West, who led the Hawks with 11 rebounds in Wednesday's win over New Orleans. "It's all a process. I don't mind. I've been in this situation before. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. Just to know that I've earned it and nothing was given to me makes it feel that much better when you succeed."

Hawks coach Mike Woodson said Friday there will be no cuts to camp roster until after the team returns from Sunday's second preseason game in Detroit, at the earliest.

West said he's focusing only on the things he can control.

"Listen, I've been blessed the past two years to play for the home team, to live out my dream and play for the home team while also going to the playoffs both years," he said. "At the end of the day it's strictly about making the best of the opportunities that have been given to you."

Open practice this morning

The doors at Philips Arena will open at 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning for the Hawks' annual open practice, which is free for the public. The practice is scheduled to conclude at 1 p.m.

Woodson said the practice routine won't change much from the normal schedule, though he did say that there would definitely be a scrimmage added.

"We're going to stick to the regular program," he said. "We taught more [Friday] and made sure we got our conditioning in. But we need to get up and down the floor a little bit before we go to Detroit, just to make sure we've got our legs under us."

Crawford still limited

Crawford's was held out of the bulk of Friday's action to rest the strained left calf that has bothered him the past few days. Woodson said he doesn’t expect the veteran guard to play again before the Hawks' preseason game in Memphis on Wednesday.

"It's just a precautionary thing," Woodson said. "I just have to make sure he knows what we're doing from a scheme standpoint. But that's a tricky injury if you don't handle it properly, it could keep you out for a while if you're not careful."

Crawford said he felt the calf tightening two days before the Hornets game, when he played only nine minutes before being held out in the second half. Treatment on the calf leading to and on game day helped him prepare for live action. The game itself was another story.

"I was guarding somebody and had to stop on a dime, so I was trying to push off, and I had to decelerate at the same time and it sort of got yanked," Crawford said. " It'll be fine. If this was the regular season I'd push through it. But there's no need reason to push it right now."