After just one year in the NBL, Cairns rookie Nathan Jawai could see his salary eclipse his entire club's wages if he's selected in the 2008 NBA draft as expected.

In his first year as a pro, the 21-year-old has caught the attention of leading sports analysts in the United States, who are touting the rookie as a sure thing for this year's NBA draft.

This season in the NBL, Jawai has averaged 17.8 points and 9.3 rebounds a game, taken out the All-Star most valuable player honour, and is the runaway favourite to become Rookie of the Year.

Australian coach Brian Goorjian said he believed it was only matter of time before Jawai got his break in the NBA, but that could now be sooner rather than later.

Highly-regarded website nbadraft.net predicts Jawai will be pick no.24 in the first round of this year's 2008 NBA draft.

That could result in a hefty pay increase to almost $1 million - which is more than an entire NBL team's salary cap at just $810,000.

"Bruising big man with a raw, unpolished game but shows a great deal of potential with his soft touch, size, strength and explosiveness," nbadraft.net says of the centre, who at 208cm and 128kg, is nicknamed "Mini Shaq" thanks to his likeness to NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.

President of the NBA Draft Express website Jonathan Givony agrees with the hype over Jawai and is confident he will be a first round pick.

"There's been a steady buzz coming out of the land down under over the past few months," he said.

"A six-foot-ten, 285-pound Aboriginal big man by the name of Nathan Jawai has come out of nowhere seemingly to establish himself as the best rookie in the league, as well as a prospect that NBA teams are slowly realising they must take seriously as well."

Jawai is not the only Australian being tipped to join Andrew Bogut in the NBA next season.

Vanderbilt University's Andrew (AJ) Ogilvy is nbadraft.net's highest ranking Australian in their mock draft, coming in as a first round pick at No.17.

Fellow Australian, Nebraska's Aleks Maric is at 47th after also making his mark in college basketball.

Also joining the praise for Australian athletes, basketball expert Chad Ford, writing on the ESPN website, predicts Jawai will be an early second round pick at 47th, while he says Ogilvy is likely to be a first round pick.

The draft takes place in June.

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