After a stellar offseason, the Atlanta Hawks were left with one major question that would dictate their playoff potential: will they find a suitable backup for Trae Young? Kobe Bufkin showed in his summer league debut that he deserves a chance to fill this role.
Bufkin has had a slow start to his career after suffering a series of unfortunate injuries that have limited the Michigan combo guard to just 27 games over his two-year tenure. Having essentially no experience in the big leagues, fans were unsure what to expect of Bufkin in summer league.
The most pressing question he had to answer was whether he was ready to compete at the NBA level this season. Atlanta is gearing towards title contention with their upgraded roster, leaving no room for developmental players to receive serious playing time.
Bufkin proved he belongs in Atlanta's NBA rotation last night
Bufkin exploded with 29 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in just 26 minutes against the Miami Heat. The most impressive aspect of Bufkin's night was his ability to beat his defender off the dribble. Bufkin used his ball handling and pick and roll prowess to get to the paint at will, where he was extremely effective in finishing and drawing fouls.
The lefty displayed an array of difficult paint finishes, including a right-handed and-one scoop layup with shades of Steve Nash and an and-one floater while falling to the floor with a hand in his face. Bufkin also showed flashes of Trae Young's influence, putting a defender in jail off a pick and connecting on a lob to the rolling big man.
Fans who were unable to catch the game may groan at Bufkin's poor shooting splits: 6-16 from the field and 2-9 from deep. However, it is important to remember that the summer league is a showcase. As a result, players regularly take shots that would be considered poor shots in a regular season NBA match. All of Bufkin's seven misses from downtown were off the dribble, while both of his makes were off the catch.
Bufkin will not be shooting seven off the dribble threes in the regular season. In fact, he may be instructed by coach Quinn Snyder to not take any given the shooting talent around him. Removing these shots, you end with an efficient outing for the third-year Hawk, shooting 67% from the field and 100% from three.
With that being said, Bufkin shot an impressive 15-15 from the line. While Bufkin struggled to connect on his difficult three point shot diet, the free throws suggest he has made significant strides as a shooter. Thus far in his career, Bufkin has shot just 65% from the charity stripe. If Bufkin truly has improved from the free throw line and on catch-and-shoot threes, he will be able to make a major impact for the Hawks going forward.
Bufkin's trademark defense was on full display against the heat. His one steal came when he ripped 20th overall pick Kasparas Jakucionis on a drive to start a fast break. At the end of the second quarter, Bufkin helped from the corner on a baseline drive then recovered to his man to block the corner three.
Bufkin's ability to be playable on offense will define his success in the NBA. If his offense is at an NBA level, his defense and positional size will fit in well alongside recent addition Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The two could perhaps form the best defensive backcourt off the bench in recent memory.
After last night's performance, it looks like Bufkin belongs on the court for the Hawks next season.