Yuki Kawamura has been waived! His latest height has been revealed! Is it time to face reality?

Before the new NBA season started, the Chicago Bulls cut their two-way player Yuki Kawamura.

According to Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, Kawamura was waived because of health issues, having missed the team’s late preseason games due to pain in his right calf.

Injured, he only appeared in two games, both versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 11 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.

From a statistical standpoint alone, his rebounding numbers even surpassed Yang Hanshen’s.

However, the NBA is ruthless; the league’s players form a huge pyramid, and as a bottom-tier two-way contract player, he cannot expect the same treatment as Yang Hanshen.

Being waived is quite normal.

If you’re injured, focus on recovery first and don’t take up a roster spot.

How did Kawamura earn his spot?

In this summer league, he represented the Bulls and posted well-rounded stats of 9.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, which earned him a two-way contract.

Injuries are just a side story; height is the main theme.

If a player truly has potential and developmental value, NBA teams are definitely willing to wait for him.

Recently, the NBA updated Kawamura’s height data, lowering it from 5’8” (1.73m) last season to 5’7” (1.70m), marking a 3 cm decrease.

This might be due to the difference between measuring with or without shoes.

A 1.7-meter Asian guard who managed to secure two consecutive two-way contracts with different teams (Grizzlies and Bulls), regardless of nationality, Kawamura truly deserves respect.

But judging by his performance...

Last season, as a two-way player with the Grizzlies, he appeared in 22 NBA regular-season games, averaging 4.2 minutes, 1.6 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.

In the G League, he averaged 31 minutes with 12.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1 steal per game, including a standout performance of 24 points, 3 rebounds, 14 assists, and 6 steals in a single game, earning him an All-Star selection.

He is better suited for the G League.

Why? Because he needs the ball.

At only 1.7 meters, this player must excel offensively and have the ball in his hands, as his defense will inevitably have gaps.

But by NBA standards, Kawamura isn’t like Isaiah Thomas; he lacks that elite offensive skill at 5’9” and certainly doesn’t have Thomas’s physical attributes.

Therefore, I’ll make a somewhat cautious prediction:Kawamura’s ceiling is that of a two-way contract player.

The main reason is his height of just 1.7 meters.

No matter how much talent he has, 1.7 meters makes it very difficult to survive in the NBA.

Look at the Rockets’ roster for the new season; their starting lineup averages about 2.08 meters tall.

Put him against Amen Thompson? He’d be easily outmatched, with players flying over his head...

In basketball, a 10-centimeter height difference is a significant hurdle.

So after recovering from his injury, Kawamura will also need to make a choice.

Should he work hard in the G League to prove himself and keep waiting for an NBA call-up? Continue chasing the dream?

Or, after experiencing the NBA, like Yuta Watanabe, return to the Japanese league to be a star player?

Neither path is right or wrong; these two options apply to many Asian players:

If he stays in the U.S., I admire his courage and perseverance.

If he returns home, it’s not a failure; I can only say he has accepted reality.

Life is essentially a journey of constant compromise and ultimately making peace with oneself.