Welcome to Atlanta, KOBE

[Jamaaliver]

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[HMFFL]

He
Was
On
My
Draft
Board


Finally a true talent

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[Jamaaliver]

This is my favorite Hawks Draft Pick since AL.

Kobe Bufkin | Michigan | Sophomore

6'4" | 187 lb | Wingspan: 6'8" | 19 years old



13 ppg -- 4.5 apg -- 35.5 3PT%

SHADES OF: Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley fused together

PLUSES

• Versatile half-court talent who can thrive with or without the ball. Michigan used him in pick-and-rolls and handoffs, and he showed potential for improvising as a cutter and relocator. Pairing him with an offensive hub would be ideal.
• Excellent, ambidextrous at-rim finisher who can hit flip shots without even leaving his feet. But when he does elevate, he glides through the air for acrobatic at-rim touch finishes, and he doesn’t need a ton of space to get above the rim for dunks.
• Dramatically improved his efficiency as a shooter during his sophomore season, showcasing reliable ability off the catch and smooth, consistent mechanics.
• Flashes upside as a dribble-jumper scorer who can get super hot from midrange. He has pull-ups, side steps, and stepbacks all in his bag. He looks especially comfortable dribbling laterally to get into his shots, a valuable tool when facing pressure.
• As a playmaker capable of making both simple reads and complex feeds even when under duress, he offers more on offense than just his scoring.
• Blends excellent fundamentals with playmaking skill as a defender. He sits in a stance and keeps his arms wide and high when sliding man-to-man, but he also loves to jab at the ball to force turnovers or bother the opponent.
• Hustles with intensity when away from the ball. He helps on drives, flies in to contest at the rim, sprints up the floor for chase-down blocks, and rebounds well for a smaller guy.

MINUSES

• Gets out of control at times as a ball handler and commits too many careless turnovers, throwing the ball into traffic when searching for the roller.
• Unproven shooter off the dribble: He made 37.5 percent and 34.3 percent of his 3s, per Synergy. But he took barely any attempts at all as a freshman, so that’s at least an improvement.
• Weighed in at only 195 pounds as a sophomore, so he will get picked on defensively at the next level. Improving at defending without fouling will be a priority.

The Ringer

[atlantabbq99]

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2023 is a weak draft with no real talent or depth at the post, so I can't be upset with the Kobe pick. He doesn't have elite PG skills and is small for a SG but he has a nice jumpshot and he does have active hands on the defensive end. Hopefully he can be another DM or Jordan Poole. I would have taken Sensabaugh, but Kobe is an ok pick so far.

[Jamaaliver]

Draft Grades:

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Atlanta Hawks - B

Bufkin reportedly made it known that he wanted to be in a situation where he could start; that won’t be the case in Atlanta, where he will be playing behind both Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, unless there are future moves on the horizon. Ultimately, the pick improves on a strength. Bufkin doesn’t have many holes in his game. In two seasons at Michigan, he’s shown the ability to thrive offensively on or off the ball; he can make plays defensively with his length and excellent hands; and he has outstanding touch, evidenced by his incredible ability to finish at the rim despite a lack of bulk. Bufkin was a lottery talent whom the Hawks landed on the outside of it, just as they did last season with AJ Griffin.

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

John Hollinger of The Athletic had Kobe as a top-10 talent in this draft class.

Kobe Bufkin, 19, 6-4 So. SG, Michigan



Bufkin isn’t technically a one-and-done, but functionally, he might as well be. He’s the same age as the one-and-dones with a late 2003 birthdate — in fact, he’s younger than several of them — and he hardly played as a freshman at Michigan.

I actually went to Michigan this winter to see Bufkin’s teammate Jett Howard play against Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh and left the arena way more impressed with Bufkin. His size may work against him playing the two, but he has very long arms, and there is a decent possibility his combination of handle and passing chops allow him to play point guard full time. He averaged over five assists per 100 possessions last season while mostly playing the two.

A left-hander, Bufkin has a long, loping release that could use a bit of refinement off the dribble, but from a standstill, he can shoot, as an 83.3 percent career mark from the line shows.

Defensively, Bufkin bounces off the floor quickly and can surprise opponents by blocking the shot of bigger players; he also had a high steal rate and held up decently in one-on-one matchups. I don’t see a stopper here, necessarily, but he should be solid. He has a thin frame that will need to fill out, but once he does, his length and leaping should allow him to guard up in switches without getting creamed.

Overall, there is a lot to like here and a lot of potential developmental pathways.

[Jamaaliver]

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[HMFFL]

We have a shooter

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[CP War Hawks]

I'm pretty pleased he fell to the Hawks with Hawkins, Dick, and Howard getting called before him. Anything else he's a massive upgrade from Holiday.

Worried about his long range shooting. I like his overall perimeter defense. Hunter was essentially the only guy battling shooters and penetrators, we now have a legit defender in that space.

[Jamaaliver]

Pro Comparisons for Top 2023 NBA Draft Picks

Kobe Bufkin — Michigan, PG/SG

Pro Comparison: Derrick White

Bufkin offers White's combo guard versatility with three-level shot-making and efficient finishing, plus strong defensive instincts guarding the perimeter.

Bleacher Report

Code: Select all

For the Hawks, the idea of getting a big combo guard who can play next to Trae Young but also take minutes as his backup has to be tempting, especially since Atlanta needs a Plan B if it can’t keep Dejounte Murray beyond this season. Bufkin would likely be the Hawks’ primary choice...

The Athletic -- Pre Draft

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Draft Analysis from John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie

Kobe Bufkin | 6-foot-4, guard | 19 years old | Michigan

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Vecenie’s ranking: 11.

Bufkin is one of the guys on whom I will be highest compared to consensus this year. I love how well-rounded his game is and how many of his attributes figure to translate. I buy him as a shooter, and I really buy his feel for the game on offense. His passing is improving as he continues to gain experience. He knows how to play direct basketball off quick decisions. There isn’t a ton of fluff there. And while sometimes you would like to see a bit of fluff in terms of his ability to dance and create a shot, I think his ability to play a different cadence and his hip flexibility gives him some upside to develop those gifts once he gets stronger and can hold his ground on the ball against aggressive defenders a bit. With his long arms and stronger shoulders, he has the kind of frame that should be able to add some weight and improve some of the strength-based issues that cause him problems now.

Mix that with his touch, his elite finishing, the high release point on his pull-up and his willingness to be an aggressive defender, and I think he profiles nicely as a difference-making guard long term. He has the size to not be hunted if the strength comes along defensively. And his ability to play both on and off the ball will allow him to play with stars at a high level. Bufkin has starter upside long term. And if he can develop a bit more game off the bounce to separate from his man, there is even a bit more upside beyond that in the highest-end potential outcomes.

I’m comfortable putting my chips in on Bufkin as one of my guys.

Hollinger’s analysis: Can’t argue with this one. I thought the Hawks would want another guard here to supplement the backcourt, where Dejounte Murray can leave after this season and Bogdan Bogdanovic is eternally questionable. I had a lottery grade on Bufkin and liked him much better than Jett Howard when I saw both play in-person. With Bufkin rumored to be in play as high as 9, Atlanta has to be incredibly happy that they landed him without needing to trade up.

The Athletic

[dms269]

Is he the best Kobe B* the league has ever seen?







*in a hawks jersey

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Geaux_Hawks]

I watched a few Michigan games, and thought Bufkin was better than Jett coming into the draft. So for him to basically be the BPA at this point in the draft, and Jett already gone, helped a lot in his selection.

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IMO, this breakdown shows exactly why I think we'll look to keep DJM over Bogi. The ability to be a combo guard offensively, that can defend both guard spots is key. Quin will look to get DJ going the same ways Bukfin can be effective playing off ball and vice versa for Trae.

To me, Quin values versatility. Bogi isn't very versatile and is mostly a shooter. We need shooters, but drafting of Seth Lundy figures to be a way to help replace Bogi off the bench with Griffin primed for a bigger role next year. We've even got Bey as well.

If we can extend DJM, that gives Bufkin enough time to develop and eventually make DJM expendable. Bufkin needs to bulk up and develop his self creation skills. Playing behind Trae and DJM will allow him time to do both.

[HMFFL]

ATL baggage claim has Welcome to the ATL Kobe Bufkin on the video board. Hopefully he gets the touches he needs.

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[jayu70]

Love it!

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