Yuki Kawamura is quickly becoming one of the standout stories of the NBA season.
Standing at just 5’8″, the Japanese guard has captured the attention of NBA fans across the league. On Sunday night, he played a career-high in minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring three points and dishing out four assists.
With Ja Morant still sidelined with no set return date and Marcus Smart out with an ankle injury, there could be more opportunities for Kawamura soon. But the question is: Is Yuki Kawamura more than just an interesting NBA rarity?
Kawamura is certainly a skilled player. He averaged over 20 points per game in the Japanese B1 League and helped lead Japan to a strong performance in the Olympics this summer. After fighting his way onto the Memphis Grizzlies’ roster with a two-way contract, Kawamura found himself getting playing time due to the team’s long list of injuries.
However, Kawamura is discovering that the NBA is a much tougher challenge than the Japanese league. At 5’8″, he is the shortest player on the Grizzlies roster this season, standing four inches shorter than the next smallest player, which includes notable undersized guards like future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul and All-Star Fred VanVleet.
To be considered in the same conversation as those players, Kawamura will need to be highly effective on the court.
So far, Kawamura’s NBA career seems to be more of a novelty, though still an exciting one. While he has played in eight of the Grizzlies’ first 10 games, it has mostly been in brief minutes during games that were already decided.
Known for his shooting ability, Kawamura has struggled from beyond the arc, making just 1-of-8 three-pointers so far this season. His size is definitely a concern, as he’s not yet accustomed to the length and athleticism of NBA defenders.
In any important minutes he plays, Kawamura will likely be targeted on defense, so his ability to shoot well will be crucial.
However, there is still a chance that Kawamura could prove himself to be more than just a fun story. In the Grizzlies’ most recent game, five guards were out with injuries.
This has given Kawamura a chance to play more, with career-high minutes in the past two games. If the Grizzlies continue to face backcourt injuries, Kawamura could get enough playing time to show that he’s more than just a novelty.
