Welcome to the Hawks, Kobe Bufkin!

[Peoriabird]

2 minutes ago, AHF said:

I’ll be thrilled if he is more athletic than DM.  The comparison I saw on here was that DM is more athletic while KB is the better shooter.  Do you think he can guard wings this year or is he the 3rd or 4th PG on defense (behind Trae, DM, and possible a vet to be signed or resigned).

Doesn't matter, Hawks ain't winning with Murray at the 2 because he can't guard

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

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.

[AHF]

1 minute ago, Peoriabird said:

Doesn't matter, Hawks ain't winning with Murray at the 2 because he can't guard

Guess we’ll see if Kobe is the answer.  DM’s defense was the biggest disappointment for me last year.

[Peoriabird]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

Guess we’ll see if Kobe is the answer.  DM’s defense was the biggest disappointment for me last year.

Rather have a cheap DM than a max DM

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

[hawkman]

2 minutes ago, AHF said:

I love Fox but he and Trae would be a disaster as a backcourt.  I hope KB is very different from Fox.

Kobe looks like an actual SG that can facilitate if he needs to. I'm not seeing the Fox comparison. He doesn't look lightning quick like Fox on offense. His quick hands and ability to play passing lanes on defense should translate. His midrange shot creation should translate as well. 

[JayBirdHawk]

Yeah....we get our 1st round pick finally playing in Summer league after OO, JJ and AJ.

[Hawkish]

Ha!  I was watching clips of him driving completely ignoring which was his dominant hand.  My apologies 

[AHF]

1 minute ago, hawkman said:

Kobe looks like an actual SG that can facilitate if he needs to. I'm not seeing the Fox comparison. He doesn't look lightning quick like Fox on offense. His quick hands and ability to play passing lanes on defense should translate. His midrange shot creation should translate as well. 

From the highlights on him, I agree that I’m not seeing the comparison at all and that is a good thing.  What I’m most curious to see is if Kobe can really play SG or if he is more like Dejounte where he is better situated to guard opposing points.  He does look to have some solid vision and passing skills.

[Sothron]

23 minutes ago, AHF said:

I haven’t seen much of him but he reportedly is less athletic and thinner than DM and we know DM struggled defensively because of his size.  Do we really think Kobe can defend wings next year or is this a longterm development project in terms of non-PG defense?

He's not guarding wings right now. He's just not big enough. But he can add to it. Frankly his on ball defense is what he brings to the table the most and he can definitely guard and pester any ball handler. He has plenty of hops. This was a sneaky good to great pick by us. 

[hawkman]

Just now, AHF said:

From the highlights on him, I agree that I’m not seeing the comparison at all and that is a good thing.  What I’m most curious to see is if Kobe can really play SG or if he is more like Dejounte where he is better situated to guard opposing points.  He does look to have some solid vision and passing skills.

He has a more natural looking three ball than Murray at 19. His game within the three point arc looks identical to Murray's. I think his handle in traffic looks a lot better as well. 

[AHF]

Just now, Sothron said:

He's not guarding wings right now. He's just not big enough. But he can add to it. Frankly his on ball defense is what he brings to the table the most and he can definitely guard and pester any ball handler. He has plenty of hops. This was a sneaky good to great pick by us. 

Were we targeting him?  If so, is this a signal that DM may be going?  There just seems to be a lot of overlap between them.  He will need to improve his strength to play with Trae and his 3pt shot to play with Murray.

[AHF]

Just now, hawkman said:

He has a more natural looking three ball than Murray at 19. His game within the three point arc looks identical to Murray's. I think his handle in traffic looks a lot better as well. 

Murray’s 3 has been garbage for his career.  Last year was his absolute career best and it wasn’t very good.  I’m hoping for much more from his jumper than DM.

[Peoriabird]

5 minutes ago, AHF said:

From the highlights on him, I agree that I’m not seeing the comparison at all and that is a good thing.  What I’m most curious to see is if Kobe can really play SG or if he is more like Dejounte where he is better situated to guard opposing points.  He does look to have some solid vision and passing skills.

15 lbs heavier than Murray

[AHF]

2 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

15 lbs heavier than Murray

That is good.  I just saw he didn’t average 3 assists last year.  Not sure how that is possible.  Was assuming from the highlight passing real that he was more of a creator.

[JayBirdHawk]

@Sothron this was your take in early May about us keeping the pick. 

 

I guess Bufkin fills that? Or no?

On 5/2/2023 at 1:35 AM, Sothron said:

If we keep our pick I'm told we're looking at BPA and more of a nod to a backup PG. Trae/DJM sharing 48 minutes at PG was never realistic and just didn't work the way they thought it would. 

 

[hawkman]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

That is good.  I just saw he didn’t average 3 assists last year.  Not sure how that is possible.  Was assuming from the highlight passing real that he was more of a creator.

He's a SG that can facilitate. He doesn't look out of place handling the ball at all. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

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

[hawkman]

Not sure how to embed video but I get why Landry made this pick. He doesn't have a lot of weaknesses to his game besides being a little left hand dominant. He will take time to develop physically though.

Kobe Bufkin Highlights