The Atlanta Hawks announced that second-year guard Kobe Bufkin would miss their second outing of the season, a home date versus the Charlotte Hornets with a should subluxation, the same injury that kept him out of action this summer.
This latest setback is part of an increasingly troubling trend for Bufkin, the No. 15 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Coming out of Michigan, Bufkin was an amazing go-to scorer for the Wolverines. He increased his scoring average from 3 points to 14 per game in his sophomore season, showcasing rapid development at a young age. He was a great selection for the Hawks since they needed to develop another guard behind Trae Young and the newly extended Dejounte Murray at the time.
Unfortunately for Bufkin, his short NBA career has been plagued by injuries since putting on the Hawks uniform. It has been devastating for both the Hawks and Bufkin because of the timing of his injuries. On November 3rd, 2023, Hawks PR announced that Bufkin suffered a thumb fracture while practicing with the Atlanta Hawks G-League affiliate the College Park Skyhawks.
The injury kept him out for the first few weeks of the season and began a pattern of misfortune for the first-round draft pick. After a successful rehab, he returned to the team on January 30th but did not return to the rotation until February 10th. He was given more minutes game after game, and he tied his career-high of 12 points versus the Brooklyn Nets on the 29th.
A few days later, Bufkin suffered a sprain in his left big toe on March 4th, 2024, and missed 14 games because of it. The Hawks medical staff kept his rehabilitation very private, and he was medically cleared to return on April 1st where he played 17 minutes versus the Chicago Bulls. He finished the rest of the season playing in 17 out of 82 games, and questions arose surrounding his durability.
A new season has arrived, but can Bufkin stay healthy long enough to make an impact?
The previous off-season gave Bufkin time to recover from any underlying injuries and improve his skills in hopes of more playing time next season. He would finally get the chance to shine during the 2K25 NBA Summer League, but the day before the Hawks would leave for Las Vegas, Bufkin injured his right shoulder in a practice on July 11th. The tally increased to three injuries in one calendar year for the 20-year-old, and he missed the Summer League, which is always a fantastic opportunity for a young player.
Playing against other rookies and sophomores would’ve given him intermediate competition to showcase his improvements. His absence hurt the Hawks’ depth, playmaking, and offensive fluidity. They left Las Vegas with a 0-5 record and no knowledge of Bufkin’s skill progression. The 2024-25 media day was held on September 30th and, the first question for Bufkin pertained to the shoulder injury.
“I'm in a good spot, shoulders good, ankles, thumbs, Knees,” said Bufkin “Whatever you want I got it.”
Even though he fractured his left wrist during his senior year of high school, there were no injuries reported during his time in college after playing 61 games over two seasons. A Theoretical reason for the injuries could be increased physicality at the professional level. During media day, he mentioned that his new training regimen consists of more weight training to absorb contact better.
“Really a lot more weight room and strengthening certain parts of my body that I know is going to take a lot of impact,” said Bufkin. “Now that I’ve played in the league a little bit, that's really the biggest takeaway, its really just the weight room.”
Now that his second season has begun, he has another opportunity to prove his worth to any fans who are skeptical of his abilities. On October 17th, he scored 31 points in a preseason matchup versus Oklahoma City and showed he is ready for more minutes in year two. Unfortunately, it will have to wait because he suffered a shoulder subluxation in his right shoulder on October 21st, which added validity to the narrative that he could be injury-prone.
The rate of Bufkin's injuries cannot be ignored.
If Bufkin's struggles continue, the Hawks will have no choice but to acquire someone who can stay healthy. The National Basketball Association is a ruthless business that revolves around the worth of the athletes and what they offer to a franchise. He still has incredible potential as a 6 ‘5 combo guard, and his playstyle fits the Hawks system perfectly.
Hopefully, this recent injury will be his last for a while, otherwise, General Manager Landry Fields and the front office could begin trade negotiations.