The Chicago Bulls have one of the most prolific two-way corps in the league, headlined by Mac McClung and Yuki Kawamura. Both are showing their potential in the G League with the Windy City Bulls.
But Kawamura's recent 19-assist performance, a franchise record for Windy City, highlighted his talents and is forcing Bulls fans to lament his size once again.
Kawamura has been an excellent playmaker and game manager in the G League. He's averaging 11.3 assists per game compared to 2.9 turnovers per game. If his skills could translate to the NBA level, he would be able to help the Bulls with one of their biggest weaknesses.
Alas, Kawamura stands just 5-foot-7 and 159 pounds, a frame that's unlikely to land him consistent NBA minutes.
Yuki Kawamura will always be held back by his height
Unfortunately, Kawamura's ceiling is hard-capped by his height. Even when the Bulls go on a huge losing streak, it's not necessarily worth calling him up for significant playing time.
Although he's still young and improving, Kawamura is not a highly-touted prospect because of the inherent defensive limitations of his size.
But Kawamura's skills cannot be denied.
Any time he plays, he has the potential for a highlight reel full of shooting and passing. He's a smart playmaker who can hit players in stride and find unexpected angles. He's especially liable to create magic in transition, where he's fond of between-the-legs passes and alley-oops.
However, Chicago will search for more talent through the draft than push Kawamura to bigger minutes. When he has played for the Bulls this season, it's been a defensive disaster. Opponents are easily able to pick on him in isolation or in the post.
It should be no surprise to anyone that Kawamura has one of the worst defensive ratings on the Bulls this season, even in a small sample size, with the team allowing 123 points per 100 possessions when he takes the court.
And it's not for lack of effort on Kawamura's part. He has shown constant hustle and energy whenever he's taken the NBA court, but is sadly limited to no fault of his own.
Critics might point to other small guards who can thrive as tough defenders, such as Jose Alvarado. But there's a huge difference in size between Kawamura and even Alvarado — Alvarado is five inches taller and 20 pounds heavier.
At the end of the day, Kawamura probably tops out as a fun two-way story. His skills as a passer and shooter stand out on tape, but he gives back even more on defense. Hopefully, he can continue to get spot minutes somewhere in the league, but cracking a rotation full-time seems very unlikely.