There have only been two players in the last 20 years to make it to an NBA court at 5-8 or under. Earl Boykins had a solid 13-year career as a 5-5 scoring guard and Markquis Nowell logged four minutes of garbage time as a rookie for the Raptors last season.
So you could say the odds are stacked against 5-8 Japanese guard Yuki Kawamura.
Kawamura has already received an Exhibit-10 contract from the Grizzlies, allowing him to compete in training camp. He's proven he can score at the international level, averaging 20.3 points per game in the 2024 Olympics. Now, he will get a shot to show he can do it in the NBA.
Kawamura still has a long path toward earning a spot on the Grizzlies' opening day roster. Here's what he has to show in preseason to earn coach Taylor Jenkins' trust.
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What Yuki Kawamura needs to prove to make Grizzlies roster
Kawamura's passing and scoring will translate
Kawamura showed in the Olympics that he's quick enough to get by NBA competition. He showcased that same ability in the Grizzlies' first preseason game, getting to the rim often and spraying it out to teammates.
Kawamura recorded five points and three assists in his nine-minute debut. He drilled a 3 shortly before checking in, earning loud celebrations from his teammates. He also hit a pair of free throws and set up teammates for easy layups.
Yuki Kawamura is trying to make the Grizz roster as a 5'8" guard. Only got nine minutes of run but had some nice plays: pic.twitter.com/OqH2xRUO2t
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 8, 2024
That assist total could have been boosted as well. Kawamura set up two wide-open 3s for teammates who missed. He was adept at running NBA plays and looked like a solid backup guard on the offensive end of the floor.
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Kawamura must prove that he can guard at the NBA level
The NBA is not kind to small guards on defense. They get targeted relentlessly on that end of the floor. That is going to be the most difficult factor for Kawamura to overcome.
Kawamura can't control his size, but he can control his effort. He didn't even have his shorts tied before having to guard talented scorer Jaden Hardy on his first NBA possession. That didn't stop him from staying glued to Hardy through multiple screens and forcing him to pass the ball off.
Kawamura has used his size as an advantage on defense, making it very difficult to screen him. He showed toughness, picking up his defender full court. He got an early foul after giving a hard shoulder to 6-10 center Dwight Powell on a cut and was diving into centers throughout the game to keep them off the glass.
Kawamura's on-ball defense was impressive as well. He stayed right with Mavs guard Jazian Gortman on a drive, forcing a miss with a good contest.
If Kawamura is forced to guard in the post, he's not going to be able to do much. But he was not a negative in his debut due largely to his hustle and good technique.
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Kawamura has found the best possible situation
NBA teams usually come into the preseason with at most one roster spot open. Due to the sudden retirement of Derrick Rose, the Grizzlies unexpectedly have two.
NBA rules dictate that at least one of those spots must be filled. Two-way player Scotty Pippen Jr. is the favorite to land that first spot.
There are a couple of options for that second roster spot. It could remain open all year. It could also be filled by an outside free agent. Lastly, there is a good chance it's given to one of the team's training camp invites. Kawamura is competing with Armando Bacot, Maozinha Pereira and Miye Oni for that final roster spot.
Based on the team's first preseason game, Kawamura appears to be in the lead. Pereira played eight minutes of scoreless basketball in that opener, while Kawamura played better in his nine minutes. Bacot and Oni did not enter the game.
If Kawamura isn't able to grab that final roster spot, he can still land one of the team's three two-way contract slots. Those contracts offer players the chance to rotate between the NBA and G League teams. All three slots are currently filled, but Pippen's likely promotion will open one up.
If Kawamura doesn't make the opening day roster, there's still hope for him down the line. His Exhibit-10 contract gives him a bonus and an easy way to join the Grizzlies' G League affiliate. There, he can continue to prove himself and get called up by any team looking for a tough guard during the season.
