Welcome to Atlanta, KOBE

[atlantabbq99]

I'm not a Whitmore fan but he did have a heck of a SL. Kobe wasn't great but I like how aggressive he was.

All in all it will be interesting to see if this is one of those cases where the best SL performance and the worst SL performance has nothing to do with actual NBA career...

Kind of like how Josh Jackson out played Jayson Tatum some years back in SL

https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/summer/1/NBA-Summer-League/0/awards

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The worst of Vegas summer league

Kobe Bufkin

Birds of a feather with Hood-Schifino (above) in some ways, Bufkin was a mid-first-round pick whose team (the Hawks) immediately put the ball in his hands a zillion times in summer league. That’s the right thing to do — it’s a developmental league! — but it also put a magnifying glass on all his warts.

Bufkin played as a combo guard in college, and having to run the offense every play seemed to really slow him down; you could almost hear the gears cranking at times as he thought through a pick-and-roll read. This was a different guy from the one making quick darts down the lane at Michigan and pulling up into soft floaters. There were too many times when he paused too long and either got his dribble picked or threw a pocket pass half a beat late; ball pressure in particular really bothered him.

Bufkin’s stats also took a blow by shooting 4 of 29 from 3; he needs to improve as a shooter, but numbers this bad are mostly small-sample variance. I’d be more troubled by the multiple finishes that were swatted at the rim, again caused by him seeming to cruise through an opening too slowly.

Bufkin already has some things working against him, with a very narrow frame and an outside shot that needs more work. As with Hood-Schifino above, his team’s backcourt depth gives him the luxury of working out the kinks in the G League for the first half of 2023-24. Additionally, the repeated on-ball reps likely make his statistical picture look much worse than if he’d just been chilling off the ball for spot-ups (it’s possible he’s just a two and that’s where he needs to play, but the Hawks are right to try him at point guard first). Nonetheless, his was among the worst showings of any first-rounder at summer league.

The Athletic

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Kobe Bufkin and Jalen Hood-Schifino were part of a larger pattern: Young, first-round guards mostly got a very quick reality check in Vegas. I mentioned those two as the most egregious examples, but it’s rare that teenagers who have never played against pros can come into Vegas and shine right away, even the highly drafted ones.

The Athletic

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Every NBA Team's Best New Weapon

Atlanta Hawks: Kobe Bufkin

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This summer's 15th overall pick, Kobe Bufkin brings a boatload of offensive abilities to Atlanta. Now, they may not all surface this season, but his bag is deep enough that if even a few of them translate, he'll be a useful rotation player who occasionally blows up the box score.

The fact he can play either guard spot is key, since Trae Young and Dejounte Murray already account for a huge chunk of the available minutes in the Hawks' backcourt. On the ball, Bufkin is slithery with his dribble and confident—and capable—with his pull-up jumper. Off the ball, he is a rapid relocator who can cut behind the defense or free himself for catch-and-fire threes.

If he can defend well enough to slot alongside Young—Bufkin gives great energy on that end, but is a bit limited by his lack of size (6'4", 187 lbs)—Bufkin could get the floor time needed to push for a spot on one of the All-Rookie teams.

Bleacher Report

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Every Top Draft Pick's Signature Skill

Kobe Bufkin -- Atlanta Hawks

Signature skill: Finishing



Kobe Bufkin should have graded as the top finishing guard in the class after he shot 71.1 percent on 121 attempts around the rim at Michigan.

Athleticism isn't a strength, either. Bufkin shows strong footwork to sidestep defenders and find space on drives. He uses hang time and mid-air adjustments with either hand. Despite lacking explosion, he earns himself dunks by timing drives and taking the right angles on his leaps toward the rim. He has the skill to surprise and beat shot-blockers with wrong-foot finishes.

Bufkin has an impressive layup package that includes extension finishes and touch on high-arcing banks off the glass.

Though he lacks the burst for blowing by off the dribble, Michigan ran a lot of dribble handoffs for Bufkin to put him in position to convert drives.

The big question scouts had before the draft asked whether his efficiency in the paint will translate, given his slight frame and athletic limitations. If he suddenly has trouble at the basket, Bufkin's pick-and-roll ball-handling will become his signature skill.

Bleacher Report

[jayu70]

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[Jamaaliver]

Breaking Kobe Bufkin News:

Spoiler:

Kobe got a haircut!!!

September:


Draft Night:


Looks like he's been hitting the weights, also.

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Spoiler:

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Hawks Right Not to Include Kobe Bufkin in Pascal Siakam Package Amid NBA Trade Rumors

"The Hawks were unwilling to part with rookie guard Kobe Bufkin in trade talks for Siakam, league sources told HoopsHype. Coach Quin Snyder is said to be high on the former Michigan guard, who averaged 19.3 points on 51.9 percent shooting overall and 45 percent from beyond the arc with 5.6 rebounds in his final eight games as a Wolverine," Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported.

It was the right call by a franchise that may be competitive in the Eastern Conference, but does not have a realistic shot at representing it in the NBA Finals, nor would it have even with Siakam.

The Raptors understandably are interested in bringing Bufkin in considering they had the opportunity to draft him earlier this year and went with Grady Dick instead.

Executing a trade for Bufkin would deliver the team its top two favored players, a move that would be brilliant on the part of their front office but not one that appears likely.

That does not mean the Hawks are completely out of the market on Siakam.

Scotto's report suggests Bogdan Bogdanovich is a player worth watching in any trade movements made by the team, especially coming off a FIBA World Cup performance that saw him finish as the third-highest-ranked player. Throw in a sizeable contract ($68 million owed over the next four seasons per Scotto) and you have a piece the Hawks would hope to leverage for Siakam.

If they fail to acquire the forward, the front office can rest peacefully knowing it did not make the reactionary move and mortgage the future of the team for a quick fix that may not have gotten them to its final destination the way a young core of players led by Bufkin can in the years to come.

How well that sits with Young, who wants to win now, remains to be seen.

https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10089564-hawks-right-not-to-include-kobe-bufkin-in-pascal-siakam-package-amid-nba-trade-rumors.amp.html

[Jamaaliver]

KB projects to be an above average, two-way starter at the NBA level.

Potentially an elite role player. Keeping him (and AJ) until their stock is much higher makes sense -- unless a true superstar becomes available.

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[Jamaaliver]

I strongly disagree with this. We already have DeJounte Murray, Patty Mills and Jalen Johnson to initiate plays off for the second units. Kobe's best skill is his ability to finish plays in the paint.

Spoiler:

Especially at the rim.

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KB should be focusing more on improving his team defense and capitalizing on catch-and-shoot opportunities IMO.

Skill Every Top NBA Rookie Needs to Hone in Training Camp

Kobe Bufkin, Atlanta Hawks

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Skill to hone: Playmaking

Bufkin has a chance to earn a 10-15-minute role handling the ball for the Hawks' second unit. And with shot-makers like AJ Griffin and Bogdan Bogdanović coming off the bench, and Onyeka Okonwu playing a finisher role, Bufkin's focus should be on playmaking.

Bufkin showed some obvious passing IQ at Michigan, particularly in a setup role in ball-screen situations. He'll have the chance to add the most value to Atlanta's rotation picking apart defenses as a pick-and-roll facilitator.

Bleacher Report

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Fancy...

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Hawks player preview: Kobe Bufkin



The Atlanta Hawks 2023 NBA first-round draft pick will be looking to fight for minutes this season in a crowded backcourt.

Kobe Bufkin has some good traits that Quin Snyder and the Hawks value in a player. He’s a secondary ball handler who can create his shot and has the length to be serviceable on defense.

Bufkin showed those things during his Summer League stint in Las Vegas. His first few games were rough, but as the games went on, you saw the real potential of what he can do when things are clicking. One of the things that popped out was his ability to read the floor as the primary ball handler.

Bufkin did a decent amount of playing off the ball at Michigan, and when he sees the floor with the Hawks, he'll most likely be doing the same thing. Trae Young or Dejounte Murray will either be on the court controlling the offense when the other is on the bench, and Bufkin can be that secondary ball handler who can attack the rim and make plays.

His perimeter shooting still needs improvement, and playing alongside Young may be more helpful for the team. Unfortunately, with how many players are in the backcourt, he may not see minutes on the floor. Bogdan Bogdanovic and AJ Griffin will see minutes before him, and emergencies, Patty Mills and Wesley Matthews will be up next.

That leaves Bufkin seeing most of his rookie season in College Park with the Skyhawks, where he’ll be able to work on his game and improve in other areas on the court.

Peachtree Hoops

[jayu70]

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[Jamaaliver]

I'm conflicted on pushing Kobe away from SG to more a PG/Combo -- but he did have some level of success there as a collegiate, too.

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