Saturday, January 26, 2008

Australia's rising star, Nathan Jawai

How does a 21 year old respond to being talked about as having the potential to be the best player to ever come out of Australia? Well, rising star Nathan Jawai seems to be handling it just fine. Playing for Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League, Jawai is putting up impressive numbers. Currently, he's averaging 17 points, nine rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, all while shooting over 55% from the field. However, the stats don't do justice to the potential Jawai actually has. At 6'10'', Jawai has a 7'5'' wingspan, making him an excellent shot blocker and rebounder. And, believe it or not, Jawai did not start playing basketball until he was fifteen years old. He had a brief college career in the States, playing for Midland Community College before an injury sent him back to the land down under. Nonetheless, this has not made NBA scouts shy away, if anything, they see it as him having a tremendous upside. After winning the MVP award at the NBL all-star game, Jawai got the attention of even more NBA scouts. If he continues to improve, "Baby Shaq," as he's been nicknamed, has the potential to be a first round draft pick. He's not yet a household name in the United States, but in Australia, he's known nation wide.

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