Talent in sports can be one of the hardest of entities to judge or measure. Athletes who were told, at one point or another, in their lives, that they weren't good enough seem to always rise to the top. The examples of this are endless. Michael Jordan being cut from his JV team as a 9th grader. Tom Brady lasting until the 6th round of the draft, after having to split time with uber-multi-sport-bust Drew Henson. And the latest, Mario West.
After completing his high school career at Douglas County, where he played both inside and outside in Joby Boydstone's famous "System," Mario walked on at Georgia Tech. As a part of the 2002 recruiting class that included Chris Bosh and Jarrett Jack, Mario was passed over for a scholarship for a Swede named Jim Nystrom. He redshirted his first year, and then was an active member of the team starting in the 2003-2004 season. His stats for each year were nothing spectacular, but the leadership and energy he brought to the floor were a catalyst for the Jackets. As he improved his ballhandling and outside shot, he was an invaluable member of the team.
At the completion of his senior season, he participated and won the collegiate slam dunk championships, held at the Final Four in Atlanta. His display of athleticism led to him being "drafted" by the Harlem Globetrotters (?!?!?!). This figured to be the best offer he would receive in the US to keep playing ball. How little we all knew...
During the summer, he received the "hometown" invitation to be summer league and training camp fodder for the Hawks. He played with the team in the Rocky Mountain Revue, never starting a game, averaging less than 15 minutes a game. Players that had more minutes in the summer league included legendary names like Ronnell Taylor, Devin Green, and Terrance Thomas, none of which are still with the Hawks.
As the NBA season is less than 3 weeks away, Mario is still playing big minutes in the preseason, including 20 last night, in which he scored 10 points. I understand a lot of guys ahead of him were held out, including T-Lue, Salim, Acie Law IV, the former Speedy Claxton, and J-Chill, but those are still significant minutes with solid production.
Hopefully the Hawks will do the right thing and KEEP SUPER MARIO!
