Once again, hard work has paid off for Mario West. The Douglasville native who walked on to the Georgia Tech basketball team, earned a scholarship and walked on to the Atlanta Hawks, earned a spot on the roster has re-signed with the Hawks for a sophomore year.

Although the makeup of the Hawks is similar, the team sports a new swagger, having come close to upsetting the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics in the playoffs last year.

The Neighbor sat down with West to discuss the playoff run, the upcoming season and life in the NBA for a Douglas County native.

"It's great," West said of the team's early 2-0 record. "We finished at a high level last year in the playoffs. To get a win on the road is great because that's where we struggled last year. I am very happy with that."

Although he does not carry the same recognition as some of the game's big names, West is happy with his role as utility player for the Hawks.

"It will be pretty much the same as last year," he said. "I am hoping to expand my role throughout the season, but it should be pretty much the same. I'll do whatever the team needs. Whether it's going out there and stopping a guy for a couple of possessions or going out there for 15 minutes, rebounding the ball, getting some assists, making a few extra baskets, tip ins, whatever the team needs."

With a roster full of selfless contributors like West, the Hawks have high expectations for the 2008-09 season including a return to the playoffs and beyond.

"Hopefully the fans who were supporting the team last year can carry that over," West said. "We definitely feel as though we are a playoff caliber team. That's something we have our eyes on: taking care of home court advantage and playing well at home, but also going out and getting some road wins as well. We are going to bring it back again this year."

With more than a year's experience now, West hopes he can continue to grow with the Hawks and help carry them to new heights.

"I have another year under my belt so I am a little bit more mature, but I still have a lot to learn," he said. "That's the fun part about it, growing up and maturing through the league and trying to absorb everything that I can from the veteran guys on the team. The whole playoff experience helped me mature a lot. Observing and witnessing that gave me a lot of insight. I want to get back in."

Although he is dedicated to the Hawks and his NBA dreams, West still makes time for Douglasville where his family resides. In addition, some of his fondest basketball memories are of his time with the Tigers.

"I make it out there maybe once or twice a week," he said. "My parents are still out there, so I see them a lot. My favorite memories, I have a lot. The rival games were the biggest. Playing against Lithia and the times that we played against Chapel Hill and Alexander will always be the most memorable; Lithia especially. Playing with my best friends Gabe Dixon and Arthur Jones [was the best]."

There has been another benefit to being in Douglasville for West. His mother owns a dance studio that he hopes to use to make himself a better player.

"Next summer I really want to focus in," he said. "That's a weakness that I have and something I really have to work on: my footwork. I see a lot of guys in the NBA like Kobe Bryant, Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby, all of these veteran guys who have been in the league for awhile, their footwork is tremendous. My mom teaches dance, she has her own dance studio, and I think that will work to my advantage. If I can learn to do some of those things [it will help] my coordination and balance out there on the court."

West's incredible drive for self-improvement has been his trademark and this past off-season saw more of the same.

"I am still working on my jump shot, trying to be consistent with that," he said. "I have made some progress. I still have some work ahead of myself. That's something that continues to drive me and motivate me. People still question why I am in the league and say I can't do this and I can't do that. Give me time, I'll prove them wrong."

Never one to let his doubters get to him, West has made the best of his opportunities while serving as one of Douglasville's greatest ambassadors.

"I sort of feel spoiled," he said. "I am playing in the NBA, living my dreams with the Atlanta Hawks and being a part of a team who makes the playoffs and being able to do what we did. Taking Boston to seven games, that was just unbelievable. Now we are just looking to expand on that. We are not satisfied with what we did. Last year was great, but this is a new year. We want more."