Welcome to the Hawks, Kobe Bufkin!

[Gray Mule]

Relief for Murray and Young - - Or do we trade him away?  Hope he stays.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Every NBA Team's Best New Weapon for 2023-24 Season

 

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.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10086100-every-nba-teams-best-new-weapon-for-2023-24-season

[bird_dirt]

On 8/21/2023 at 10:27 AM, JayBirdHawk said:

Every NBA Team's Best New Weapon for 2023-24 Season

 

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.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10086100-every-nba-teams-best-new-weapon-for-2023-24-season

Kinda sad Bufkin is considered our best new weapon TBH. He is not going to play any significant role this year but we just didn’t make any other key additions this season. 
“Winner” by default. 

[kg01]

33 minutes ago, bird_dirt said:

Kinda sad Bufkin is considered our best new weapon TBH. He is not going to play any significant role this year but we just didn’t make any other key additions this season. 
“Winner” by default. 

That says more about the writer than it does about Bufkin.  They need to do some f'kin homework. 

[BangHolman]

1 hour ago, bird_dirt said:

Kinda sad Bufkin is considered our best new weapon TBH. He is not going to play any significant role this year but we just didn’t make any other key additions this season. 
“Winner” by default. 

He's going to be a star.... in College Park.

[Spud2nique]

I’m usually the optimist and this a new one for me. I’m usually pretty excited about our first round picks. Even when they turn out to be busts. Like the landlord Shelden, I mean, giving him a promise at the 5th pick or even taking him there was a mistake in hindsight but the dude literally patrolled the paint at Duke and when we chose him I thought he was bribing a Kevin Willis like game, rebounding and attitude, that didn’t happen but I was super excited about him when we picked him, dreaming of what could have been.

But Bufkin, I dunno I mean, I didn’t get a vibe one way or another. I didn’t have him on my radar of the 8 or 9 guys in our range. 
 

I hope I’m wrong.. but something about dude doesn’t excite me. Now watch @kg01 say he’s a stud and him and JJ are gonna be the next duo..  

[kg01]

50 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

I hope I’m wrong.. but something about dude doesn’t excite me. Now watch @kg01 say he’s a stud and him and JJ are gonna be the next duo..  

*gasp*

The slander!

I'm hopeful on Bufkin, but the reality is I have low expectations. 

[macdaddy]

4 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

I’m usually the optimist and this a new one for me. I’m usually pretty excited about our first round picks. Even when they turn out to be busts. Like the landlord Shelden, I mean, giving him a promise at the 5th pick or even taking him there was a mistake in hindsight but the dude literally patrolled the paint at Duke and when we chose him I thought he was bribing a Kevin Willis like game, rebounding and attitude, that didn’t happen but I was super excited about him when we picked him, dreaming of what could have been.

But Bufkin, I dunno I mean, I didn’t get a vibe one way or another. I didn’t have him on my radar of the 8 or 9 guys in our range. 
 

I hope I’m wrong.. but something about dude doesn’t excite me. Now watch @kg01 say he’s a stud and him and JJ are gonna be the next duo..  

I'm not optimistic for this year either and he plays a position that has 4 guys in front of him that are the best 4 offensive players on the whole team.  So unless he's a lock down defender i don't know how he sees the floor barring injury.  And this doesn't even take into account whether we have Mills in the rotation. 

[gurpilo]

I think he will spend the time at G league, I don't like the pick honestly, good chances he is a bust at the end

[warcore]

20 minutes ago, gurpilo said:

I think he will spend the time at G league, I don't like the pick honestly, good chances he is a bust at the end

this is how I feel... first instinct was I didn't like it and I still don't. I wanted to gamble on Whitmore. Especially with our hole at the 4. 

that said, I hope he proves me wrong. 

[Spud2nique]

Just now, warcore said:

Whitmore

Jury is out. Let’s see if he’s a Rider..  I just walked into that after setting myself up ..

which reminds me… I ran into a spider web the other night walking my dog … completely freaked out and started undressing. no joke.. my dog was like wtf is going on.. he had no clue ‍  

[JayBirdHawk]

 

Got a hair cut!

[AHF]

On 8/23/2023 at 6:51 PM, gurpilo said:

I think he will spend the time at G league, I don't like the pick honestly, good chances he is a bust at the end

Agree he will spend a lot of time in the G league this year.  I hope he exceeds my expectations but I do have in the pit of my stomach a worry that he will be a bust more so than any pick we've made in quite a while.  Probably DeAndre Bembry was the last guy I would have thought of as being in a similar place as far as the potential to fail to become a rotation regular.  Definitely hope he reaches his ceiling and that his floor is much higher than that in the case that he doesn't.

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Got a hair cut!

Hell ya! Didn’t specially love the pigtails on dude.  

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

The 1 Skill Every Top NBA Rookie Needs to Hone in Training Camp

Kobe Bufkin, Atlanta Hawks

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.

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10089876-the-1-skill-every-top-nba-rookie-needs-to-hone-in-training-camp

 

[AHF]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

The 1 Skill Every Top NBA Rookie Needs to Hone in Training Camp

Kobe Bufkin, Atlanta Hawks

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.

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10089876-the-1-skill-every-top-nba-rookie-needs-to-hone-in-training-camp

 

10-15 minutes?  Really?  OO only averaged 12 minutes a game and he had a clear role.

[shakes]

4 minutes ago, AHF said:

10-15 minutes?  Really?  OO only averaged 12 minutes a game and he had a clear role.

not just that, but 10-15 minutes per game as the primary ball handler for the 2nd unit????????????     The odds of him even averaging 3 minutes per game as the primary ball handler are slim to none.

[AHF]

4 minutes ago, shakes said:

not just that, but 10-15 minutes per game as the primary ball handler for the 2nd unit????????????     The odds of him even averaging 3 minutes per game as the primary ball handler are slim to none.

Agree.  DM is going to be the handler for the 2nd unit.  I don't see a role for Kobe at all to start the year.