INTEREST in Cairns Taipans rookie Nathan Jawai continues unabated with another NBA scout heading Down Under to gauge his progress at the weekend. 

Toronto Raptors scout Jim Kelly was a keen spectator during the Taipans' games against the Crocs in Townsville on Friday and Adelaide 36ers in Cairns on Saturday.

While the Taipans lost both matches, Jawai still made an impact, finishing with 28 points and 15 boards against the Crocs and 16 points and nine rebounds against the 36ers. And while Jawai’s name seems to have become a National Basketball League buzzword recently, the Raptors’ interest in the Bamaga product is no new thing.

"We've followed him for a little bit over a year now and watched the tapes and such and it was time to get an up-close-and-personal view and that’s why we came out," Kelly said.

"He was a name. I don't think you fly halfway around the world because a guy has a good game or two.

"You get a name and you follow it and follow it and you do some research on it and you talk to people and sooner or later you say 'well I think he's worthwhile to go and see'."

And Kelly was impressed with what he saw. "A big guy like him who can score the ball, there's not a lot of those guys around," he said after Friday's match in Townsville.

"That's an offensive talent right there. He's athletic, runs the court very well, has very good scoring touch, (performs well) close to the basket and face-up situation, he’s a very interesting prospect."

The journey from Canada to Australia may be a long one but Kelly said with Toronto the only NBA franchise outside the US, the club often had to go the extra mile in its recruitment drive.