Atlanta Hawks fans should be patient with rookie Kobe Bufkin

Kobe Bufkin struggled in some areas but showed encouraging signs

Like all rookies, Bufkin got his first taste of NBA action in the NBA2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas. He struggled shooting the ball in Summer League only shooting 28.3% from the field. He also struggled with turnovers during his play, but he did show some encouraging signs. In the final summer league contest versus the Dallas Mavericks, Bufkin scored 18 points and routinely showed his ability to attack off the dribble to get to the rim and pull up jump shots. While he wasn’t efficient, he was effective at getting to his spots on the floor and attacking opposing defenses.

Bufkin even hit a game-winning layup against the Philadelphia 76ers. As the summer league went on, Bufkin became more confident as a player. The potential is there to be a great scorer one day, but even more, he should be an impactful defender which is a big reason why the Hawks drafted him. While at Michigan, Bufkin accumulated 43 total steals in 33 games which comes out to 1.3 steals per game. He also had 23 blocks on top of that which included a few of the chase-down variety.

While Bufkin may have struggled in some areas of summer league action, he can always iron them out and become a better player over time. The upside is there, but you want him to become an efficient and reliable scorer at the NBA level. The good news is Atlanta can be patient and slow with his development as there is no pressure on Bufkin to be an elite player right away.