Isaac
Years ago

Jawai cameo in the QBL

The return of Nathan Jawai - of Boomers, NBA and Euroleague fame – to the Marlins had the packed house buzzing and the team did not disappoint.

They piled on 106 points, 61 by half-time, to Gladstone's 67 in their QBL clash.

While the mesmorisingly massive Jawai only scored 12 of those, he certainly did enough to appease the crowd's yearning for entertainment.
Full article

Anyone get out to see him play?

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orbit  
Years ago

Yep. It was a shame they weren't playing a top side with NBL players in it. Taipans had Jawai, Grabau, Williams & Vale. I knew no one from Gladstone. Big Nate probably had 20 rebounds (most easy offensive) & maybe 7 or 8 assists. The big fella spotted the perimeter players quite nicely on occasions. His game looks ok but wasn't tested at all by mediocre opposition. He had some easy dunks including a tomahawk from the baseline.
The other noteable thing is how well Grabau shoots the ball at this level. He rarely missed!

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Mick  
Years ago

Strange how Gladstone turned around and beat Townsville straight after this, a side with 3 NBL players and 1 NBL development player...

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Hey orbit....how are your eyes going.......

23 mins 12 points, 7 rebounds, (1 offensive), 3 assists!!!


Close though good on ya.

Reply #368603 | Report this post


Wookiee  
Years ago

At least he was right about the dunk :)

http://instagram.com/p/Mia5AWEFFh/

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Stats people at Aba level are terrible when it comes to giving players assists. They have no idea

Reply #368606 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

It is hard to imagine that NBL point guards would average fewer assists in ABA but they always do. Pretty sure it comes down to the stats guys...

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Anonymous  
Years ago

i can agree if it was 3 compared to 5 but orbit said 20 rebounds and he had 7 with 1 offensive, thus i find it a stretch they would be 5 out (being 3 instead of 8).

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Venom  
Years ago

Nate kept sucking in the defence all night and opened up the 3 pt shooters thus the blowout. Stats seem wrong given he dominated the boards with his massive reach. The assists aren't right he got 5 in a row off a 16 pt run (3x3's, 2 layups to free inside players) in the 3rd quarter alone. The Tomahawk dunk rattled the Fish Tank and all of the sphincters of the Power players near by - thought the roof was going to come down. He had a triple double easily but the stats look wrong (not surprising, QBL stats never seem to be consistent....)

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Jawai's a machine, such a mistake by BB to leave him out of the Olympic team.

Reply #368627 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Stats officials need to learn what an assist is. Such a joke. If they wanna take "official stats" they must get them Correct.

I have no doubt young players looking to head to college have their stats analyzed by different school's recruiting and coaching staff. Would be unlucky to be a PG playing in the QBL, you would look like a black hole

Reply #368632 | Report this post


Flip  
Years ago

I hardly think a showing in the QBL is worth us saying BB got it wrong. Unless Gladstone imported the Gasol brothers???? Maybe they did and they were a day late, if they beat Townsville

Reply #368635 | Report this post


orbit  
Years ago

I meant to say 'defensive' as he mopped up plenty of easy ones in the 2nd half. I liked his vision spotting the guys on the perimeter & not jacking up crap.
Thanks for your insight anon. Next time i'll check the stats b4 being so wrong & upsetting dickheads like you!!

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Anonymous  
Years ago

If you that would be great! Or take your socks off so you can actually count to 20!

Reply #368648 | Report this post


Spursfan  
Years ago

He is not a very smart player though. He was screaming for the ball, but wasn't going to the block or really fighting for position. He was getting up his teammates for not passing it to him, yet he didn't get himself in a good position. His skill is great, a couple of ridiculously quick spin moves off a post-up, but his off-ball work isn't great.

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Bball Fan  
Years ago

Jawai = Ordinary

Reply #368683 | Report this post


Hook Shot  
Years ago

No way did he have more than 10 rebounds total. It was a joke really and he took it that way. I would have preferred he had a real dip and dominated in all areas to show what level he has risen to.

Reply #368684 | Report this post


orbit  
Years ago

'If you that would be great! Or take your socks off so you can actually count to 20!'

Leave school early mate? What u trying to say imbecile?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Sorry mate, I'll write in crayon if it helps!!!

Reply #368695 | Report this post


Matt Smith  
Years ago

Nate looked bored, he was toying with them, the way an NBL player would toy with a rec league, I know what Nate locked in looks like, and it wasn't that.
Everytime he was on court Gladstone threw a zone and basically triple teamed him. It allowed the shooters plenty of open looks.
Its hard to post up into a zone no matter who you are.
I thought he could have done a bit more moving around to try stretching the zone out and sneaking in on the weakside, but I don't think the offence wasn't geared that way....
Having said all that I left at half time because my daughter was sleepy.

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Spursfan  
Years ago

He got more ball in the second half, but still his posting up was very ordinary when there was a clear pass to the block. The Marlins didn't space very well on the offensive end though, so it wasn't all Nate's fault.
Will be interesting to see him on the road double this weekend.
Matt, what's your take on why he didn't make it in the NBA?

Reply #368793 | Report this post


Matt Smith  
Years ago

Honestly I don't know, I was working out with him before the draft and we were both in the best shape of our lives, he looked really scary. There was some talk of him going in the first round and rumours that the Taipans put too high of a price on his contract buy out. I'm not sure how true that is. I think when he got to the states having to sit out for so long really sucked the life out of him. He did some good things in Minnesota, but couldn't hang on. Having said that Kurt Rambis was coaching and he refused to start Kevin Love.
I get the feeling the NBA is just wierd, Todd Mundt played NBA nate would have killed him. Sometimes its just luck. Sometimes its about having an elite level single skill (shooting, shot blocking) other times its college pedigree. For sure Nate is an NBA level athlete, and once he gets his feet in the paint there is very little you can do with him. I believe he could stick if he got another crack at it. The reality is the NBA is very foreign to me, so I don't even know what they look for.....

Reply #368795 | Report this post


Vart  
Years ago

Matt, you mentioned above 'we were both in the best shape of our lives, he looked really scary' and I completely agree with you in relation to Nate. Having followed his career closely through juniors and into the NBL, I remember seeing a TV interview with him just after he got to Toronto and I could not believe it was the same guy. He looked ripped, his face was all chiseled, he looked like an elite athlete which is not something anyone would have mistaken him for before. Do you think he's ever been at that level of peak fitness since? It would appear to me as a total outsider that he hasn't, and perhaps this is what has held him back from being on an NBA roster, given the amount of games they play and the limited recovery time between games.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Is this the same Matt Smith who was a 6'9"/6'10" F/C with the Taipans a few years ago?

Reply #368805 | Report this post


Spursfan  
Years ago

I haven't read much at all about his heart condition. Does this mean that he can't ever put in 100% effort on the floor, or what? What's the deal with it?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

No there were cardiac problems identified by the Raptors medical staff, serious enough to stop him training. And in answer to anonymous yes I played for the Taipans although I seriously doubt I could be labelled a forward.
I have been out of the game for a while now and found I had lots of opinions on the game but nowhere to express them. I do a pod cast with a friend of mine, and I figured I would give the board things a shot. Although a quick search proved I was not perticularly popular on all of them. I enjoy the difference of opinion and the opportunity to share knowledge when I have it. I am also keenly aware that a lot of the players that I comment on are better than I ever was, that is why I waited a while before venturing an opinion.

Reply #368853 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It's me again, you were a big stocky guy though right? Or am I thinking of another Smith that played for the Taipans?

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Jim Bert  
Years ago

A quick google search reveals this is the Matt Smith in question:

http://www.australiabasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=AUS&PlayerID=20976

Impressive reading

Reply #368866 | Report this post


matt smith  
Years ago

Thank you for that critique Jim, although it is not acccurate. I have one collapsed disc and two herniated discs in my back so I no longer play. I am not sure where they have got their info from. I mentioned in my previous post that I was aware of my talent level, and I had hoped to avoid posts like yours belittling a career I was very proud of. I wanted to provide a little bit of a different perspective, hopefully some informed opinions on some of the player and coach traits or tactics employed that I am familiar with.

But because I am overly sensitive here is a quick justification of my career
116 NBL games
Wollongong, Victora, NZ, Taipans
Lead the NBL in feild Goal % 06/07
Career High 22 against Singapore in 07
Career High Boards 13 against Spirit in 09
Career High Minutes 35 against T'ville 09
ABA national Champion Marlins 2007
First game 1999 with Wollongong v Sydney
A few double doubles, dunked on a few people
Longest stretch of time between game 1 and 100 ever

Look I wasn't that good, I'm not stupid, I am probably more aware of my own level than you are. I like to think I played hard.

There you go Jim, I stuck my head up, you kicked it and got a rise out of me. Possibly this is the reason more ex-players aren't publicaly on these things?

Also I am not aware on any other Smiths playing with the Snakes, but I was always kind of on the thin side.

Reply #368885 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Thanks for the info re Jawai, Matt. Don't have to justify your play to have an opinion or I wouldn't be saying anything at all...

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Anonymous  
Years ago

exactly Matt Smith has played more NBL than probably all of us, and its great to get a ex NBL players opinion on players imo, thanks for the insight on Jawai Matt.

Reply #368903 | Report this post


Very Old  
Years ago

waiting for Jim Dork's - er Berk's profile ?

Reply #368905 | Report this post




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