Kobe Bufkin brings an ‘all-around’ game to Atlanta; says he is compared to an Ohio State guard
Kobe Bufkin was selected just a few picks after his college teammate, Jett Howard, in the 2023 NBA draft. The Atlanta Hawks scooped Bufkin up with the No. 15 pick.
Bufkin left Michigan after a transcending sophomore year where he averaged 14 points and shot 35% from 3. He became the Wolverines’ go-to guy and he also become one of Michigan’s better defenders.
During Atlanta’s press conference, the Hawks’ GM Landy Fields and Kobe Bufkin spoke about Bufkin joining the franchise.
Fields told the media he loved the passion that Bufkin brings to the floor every play. He can tell that basketball brings a lot of joy to Bufkin and that really stood out.
“I think it got serious when one of our intel sources said something along the lines of, ‘There are guys who love the game and then there are guys who are in love with the game.’ This is a guy who is in love with the game,” said Fields.
Bufkin is only 19 years old, with two years of college experience, and he will turn 20 close to training camp time. Atlanta isn’t only getting a young player, but Bufkin is a mature player who doesn’t have many weaknesses in his game. Fields told the media that Bufkin’s all-around game stood out to him.
“When we spoke with him in Chicago, that was another huge moment for me,” Fields said. “He’s just very mature in the way that he sees the game: the feel, the IQ, the confidence that he has as well. He’s just a very fluid type of player. He can play on-ball, off-ball. He defends, and that’s big for us as well. He’s young and still growing and getting better.”
When Bufkin spoke to the media, he was asked to self-scout himself. He believes he also has an all-around game, and while he can improve on areas, none of them are a big weakness.
“I think my skill set is pretty all-around,” Bufkin said. “I can improve in many areas, but it doesn’t really lack much.”
While he feels he currently doesn’t have any big weakness in his game, he admitted that defense was a big issue two seasons ago in Michigan. During his freshman year, Bufkin struggled on the defensive side of the court, but after taking a whole summer to focus on that area, he quickly became one of the better defenders.
“Defensively, my freshman year I couldn’t guard nobody,” Bufkin said. “I’m going to just put it like that. I finally just focused on moving my feet and that allowed me to get on the court my second year and have a big impact on defense first.”
Bufkin was asked about a comparable player in the NBA. He watches Devin Booker a lot, so does Jett Howard, but he says he is compared to former Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell.
“I think that’s just because I’m a left-handed player,” Bufkin added, “but I watch a lot of D-Book (Devin Booker).”
The odds are slim that Bufkin will start right away for Atlanta. He plays guard and the Hawks have two All-Stars at guard at the moment. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are cemented in the starting lineup, but that doesn’t scare Bufkin. He is excited to compete against those two and he is ready to learn from two of the better guards in the NBA.
“I’m just looking forward to competing against Trae Young and Dejounte Murray,” he said. “They go at it. I’ve paid attention, so I’m definitely ready to get down there and get on the court with those guys and learn.”
Bufkin will compete in the NBA Summer League in early July.
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