The Kobe Bufkin experience has confused Atlanta Hawks fans.
Bufkin was drafted with the hopes that the combo guard could develop into the perfect backcourt sidekick for Trae Young. Yet, after two years, Bufkin has played in just 27 regular season games and performed at a lackluster level. With his tragic injury luck, there is reason to believe he could improve after having a full healthy season to build rhythm.
Despite this reason for optimism, fans were ready to give up on the young guard after Atlanta unexpectedly cobbled together one of their best offseasons as a franchise, propelling the team to the top of the Eastern Conference in preseason rankings. It is time to win in Atlanta, meaning Bufkin is no longer afforded time to develop. In order to achieve postseason success, the team needs a capable primary initiator to lead the offense while Young rests.
In the 2025 Summer League, however, Bufkin resurged. He had multiple 25+ point outings, showed remarkable development from the free throw line, and flashed potential as the primary initiator who could back up Young. Bufkin's importance to the squad was underscored when the Hawks struggled mightily after he sat for the final game.
Summer league is notoriously unreliable, however, and a Hawks scout "is a little worried about him." The scout elaborated to Spotrac's Keith Smith that "Athletically, he’s fine. He’s too quick and too strong for guys here (at summer league). But he’s got to shoot it better. And he has to stay healthy. Hopefully it will come together for him.”
Bufkin has to prove his improvement is real or risks being traded
Bufkin's shooting is the area of his game that has disappointed the most. After shooting 36% from three and 85% from the free throw line in his sophomore year at Michigan, Bufkin has shot a dismal 22% and 65% respectively in his short NBA career.
These are small samples, and the aforementioned lack of consistent health has certainly hampered his ability to find a groove. Without a consistent three-point shot, however, Bufkin's other offensive strengths are limited. His pick and roll ability is easier to defend if teams don't have to worry about his outside shot. His connective passing is less prominent if opponents aren't forced to close out hard.
Summer league provided hope for Bufkin's shooting development. Bufkin shot an outstanding 96% from the charity stripe this summer, missing only one of his 28 attempts. Free throw shooting is an indicator of overall shooting talent, and his improvement of over 30% from his NBA career shows promise that Bufkin has developed as a shooter overall.
However, Bufkin was not able to carry this improvement to his deep shot, shooting just 26% from deep. It is worth noting that Bufkin shot many of his threes off the dribble. It is unlikely the Hawks will ask him to be taking these difficult shots, indicating his percentages could rise when playing his natural role in the big leagues.
Ultimately, Bufkin has to show hope as a deep shooter for the Hawks to see Bufkin as a part of their playoff rotation. Bufkin has two important deadlines to show improvement by. Halloween is the final day for Atlanta to pick up Bufkin's team option for next season. If Bufkin wishes to remain a Hawk, he has to show signs of development by then. Then, Bufkin has to prove he is a capable playoff player by the trade deadline. If he does not, he risks being traded for a proven backup point guard.