Peachtree Hoops: 2023-24 Atlanta Hawks player review: Kobe Bufkin

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Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

The rook showed some promise in 2023-24.

As the Hawks continued their emphasis on developing their young players, Kobe Bufkin was the latest to benefit from the plan.

Bufkin’s first time on the court was for the Hawks’ Summer League team, and though he showed flashes of potential on both sides of the ball, it was evident there were some things that he still needed to work on.

Bufkin’s ability to get to his mid-range shot was a bright spot, and his vision on the court was impressive as well, but at times his shot wasn't falling, and so he'd go on cold streaks. As the games went on, he began to improve and in the last game, he did a bit of everything.

Kobe Bufkin was lookin' comfortable in our final summer league game with 18 PTS pic.twitter.com/A8YW9P7xPR

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 17, 2023

Once the regular season started, it was obvious that Bufkin probably wouldn't get any minutes with the guard depth already stacked behind Trae Young and Dejounte Murray with Trent Forrest and Patty Mills in tow. That led to Bufkin spending most of his time with the College Park Skyhawks, and that turned out to be a beneficial move for the guard.

If you watched the Hawks during any part of the season, then you’d also see the tweets and news about Bufkin in College Park and how he was steadily improving. Every week it seemed like Bufkin was doing something new, and the biggest sign of him turning the corner was his 43-point game.

Once Bufkin started heating up in the G League, it was obvious that the Hawks bring him down to start getting minutes, and with the injury of Young, it made even more sense to add him to the rotation.

What was impressive about the young guard was how he fit into the offense coming off the bench, but what got people really intrigued was his defensive mechanics. The Skyhawks system has been known to help players with their defense, and it proved helpful to Bufkin.

Kobe Bufkin Highlights vs Pistons 4/3

Bufkin is a defensive PLAYMAKER. 2 blocks and 2 steals on defense along with some nice flashes on offense https://t.co/vC4yv8maVo pic.twitter.com/HdztkgtYAo

— Kel’el Ware to ATL (@1CE_TRAE) April 4, 2024

As the season progressed, Bufkin showed his ability to play on-ball and off the ball, and the hope is that he can become a solid secondary playmaker for whoever he's on the floor with, while also setting the tone on defense and being a reliable point-of-attack defender, something he showed signs of doing that when he was on the court.

Bufkin ended the season getting consistent minutes with the Hawks, and there is more promise for the guard going into his second season. With the rumors of possibly one of the top guards on the Hawks being moved this offseason, that will give Bufkin the opportunity to see more minutes on the floor and have a more defined role on the team.

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