In his only legitimate preseason opportunity, against the Toronto Raptors, Yuki Kawamura, who was signed to an Exhibit-10 earlier this summer, balled out. He recorded 10 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals, shooting 75% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. In addition, beyond the numbers, Kawamura did just as any point guard should and pushed the pace, consistently made the right reads, and left an overall positive impact. Still, the Clippers elected to waive him just before the regular season began.
Why? He’s undersized at just five-foot-nine. While Kawamura may have played nearly perfectly in the only minutes he received to showcase what he’s made of, he would have to produce similarly every time his number is called to make up for his height disadvantage, which is simply unrealistic for any player.
So, although there may be controversy over the Clippers parting ways with Kawamura, who became a fan favorite extremely fast, the decision makes sense.
Hopefully Kawamura can find a spot on another team, though, because he's truly special.
The Clippers waived Yuki Kawamura because of the disadvantages his height brings
Despite being a member of the LA Clippers for such a short period of time, Yuki Kawamura was loved by the fans and players. He built a strong relationship with Rui Hachimura (they share the same Japanese roots), flashed his stylish play when he could, and embraced the team he represented.
Surely the Clippers would keep Kawamura around if they could, but with how valuable roster space is under the CBA, they had to make the tough decision to move on because they couldn’t see him being a positive factor in the regular season.
Because he’s undersized, efficiency has always been a concern. He shot 36.7% from the field as a rookie and regressed to 32.7% as a sophomore. Kawamura also hasn’t been effective from three, shooting 30% across 40 career games.
Then we get to the defensive side of the ball, and it's a different story. Put simply, opponents would specifically target him because there’s only so much he can do on the perimeter and in the paint.
All things considered, the Clippers had their backs against the wall, with the only option being to waive him. He is certainly talented, but with one more preseason game left, it’s worth giving a tryout deal to someone else, knowing Kawamura’s days in LA were numbered.
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