Mark Cuban Hasn’t Spoken To The “Aussie Shaq”
It must be hard to be in the NBA when nobody wants you. Like Quentin Richardson this summer, or Jamaal Tinsley all last year when the Pacers emptied his locker and told him to stay away, sometimes you just don’t fit into a team’s plans. That appears to be the situation surrounding current Maverick Nathan Jawai, and I don’t know why.
While other guys get press conferences and jerseys with their name and number on them when a team trades for them, other guys apparently don’t even get a phone call. According to The Cairns Post, Mark Cuban has never said anything at all to Jawai since he arrived in the deal that brought Shawn Marion to Dallas.
“It’s hard to have a guy on your roster that you haven’t seen play before and know a lot about,” Jawai said of the Mavericks, who had representatives in South America watching the former Cairns Taipan when he played for the Boomers against Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay last month.
“I’m talking with my agent but I’m a Maverick right now. So whatever happens, happens.
“I still haven’t heard anything from them so all I can do right now is have a good (northern) summer and perform well for the Boomers in the next couple of games and see where it’s at after that.”
While some people would think that Cuban is just letting Jawai play in his native Australia this summer before having him back for training camp, all signs point to him not making the Mavs roster after Cuban wouldn’t let Dirk Nowitzki or Jose Juan Barea play with their national teams this summer.
At only 22 years old and in need of solid big men, I’d be surprised if the Mavericks didn’t give the 6-10, 275-pound forward/center a chance. After all, his nickname is the “Aussie Shaq.”
While he hasn’t done anything in the NBA (2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers in 19 minutes over 6 games with the Raptors last year), Jawai did average 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.0 block per game, while shooting 57% from the field in the D-League during the 2007-08 season.
Would you take the “Aussie Shaq” on your squad?
Source: The Cairns Post
August 24th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Kermit the Washington says:
Ummm…what ever happened to using “excerpts”? You posted the whole article on the main page lol
August 24th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Young Lebron 23 says:
I’d take a chance on him
August 24th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Mark says:
since HER arrival in the Shawn Marion deal?? Weve got another South African sprinter on our hands then!!??
August 24th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
DTUCK says:
He can come off the bench for them Lakers. I am posted in Boise, where he played in the D League last year. Dude has some talent, and them Lakers are always on the look for a tough big. Dude aint 6′10″ tho, more like 6′8″ or 6′9″.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Hugo says:
Are you kidding me? No, come on … I’m brazilian, and I watched that guy playing for Australia against Brazil, and he sucks and sucks a LOT. He was destroyed by Varejao on D and O, you could undestand the D part, but at Offense? I’m brazilian and all, but Varejao beating you on offense. Also, in addiction to being a player with almost no skills, he also carry himself like he is a superstar, bitching all around, not getting back on defense when he was frustated (that happened a lot by the way) and after going to the bench he bitched to his coach about being taken out of the game. And like DTuck said, no way he is 6′10, he looks like a 6′7 or something like that. Varejao looked way bigger than him. We can say he is big, because he is fat and that’s true.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
c-viz says:
he’s a horse! he is better than 80% of the 3rd string big men in the league and he is only 22. he would destroy Mbenga, lol
August 24th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
dk says:
In the highlights hes being guarded by a white guy with the softest D Ive seen this side of a Y league… Gimmie a fucking break….
August 24th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
nerditry says:
Nash was saying on Simmons’ podcast that Cubes never talked to him the summer he went back to Phoenix. Kinda petty, eh?
August 24th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
LakeShow84 says:
So lemme get this straight cuz ive always wondered this..
Cuban is the owner AND GM?? he makes all personnel decisions?? cuz really wtf does he know about basetball?? be a savvy businessman and a hoop GM are like night/day no matter how well you think you can read someone..
So is he really the GM?? cuz i always hear shit about HIM pulling the trigger on those decisions..
August 24th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Big Island says:
He looks like a soft Kendrick Perkins. No thanks.
August 24th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
M says:
Why not try him out, he’s cheap and he cant be that worse than dampier right..?
For a 22 year old without a lot of experience, I think he can get better in a few years.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Dodge Taylor says:
What does the NBA have against Australians??
Kid is just 22, he’s raw and hasn’t been playing that long. He is a big body and just needs someone to help him develop and learn.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Drowser says:
I think Jawai has some talent, he just needs a chance really. Let’s not forget he couldn’t do ANYTHING let alone play ball a lot of last season because of issues with his heart. When he did come back he was unfit and out of touch as you would be. If he gets fitter and is able to get some minutes he will show what he can do. He’s been playing well for the national team recently.
14 pts, 8 reb vs China (top scorer)
28 pts, 11 reb vs China (11-12 FG)
19 pts, 8 reb vs Argentina (defended by Luis Scola)
12 pts, 8 reb vs Brazil (loss)
21 pts, 4 reb vs Uraguay (win)
27 pts, 7 reb vs Argentina (12-15 FT, defended by Scola, held Scola to 2-8 shooting)
8 pts, 4 reb, 4 assists vs Brazil (defended by Varejao)
17 pts, 11 reb, vs New Zealand (7-8 FT, 22min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQBkC60FpGs
August 27th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Da_Griff says:
Nate’s season was hamstrung last year because the Raps freaked out about his heart. He literally has a BIG heart. Turns out he’s had it all his life and it’s not an issue.
By the time they figured that out, he’d missed so much of the season that he couldn’t catch up.
On top of that he’s very raw and needs developing. His D is bad because he’s never really been taught it properly. I think he’s only been playing organized ball since he was 16.
He is 6′9″, and the games I saw him play in australia he was a rebounding FIEND! This guy can board if you let him. He needs work, but so does Hasheem Thabeet. That dude’s in a similar situation, only he’s taller and resembles a stick insect.
Give him a chance. Help him learn the game.