Hawks opt for Kobe Bufkin with No. 15 pick

With the No. 15 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks selected guard Kobe Bufkin out of Michigan.

Bufkin was part of the Wolverines' heralded recruitment class of 2021 as a four-star prospect but didn't establish consistent playing time as a freshman. Thrust into a bigger role in his sophomore year by head coach Juwan Howard, however, Bufkin manifested his promise as a 6-foot-4 combo guard to rank second on the team in assists and third in scoring and rebounding while leading Michigan in minutes per game. As a result, he was named to the 2022-23 All-Big Ten third team, along with teammate Jett Howard.

The 19-year-old Bufkin is a lanky combo guard with good size who thrives when he can get downhill toward the rim, where he demonstrated solid finishing skill for a guard - usually with his dominant left hand, but he's plenty comfortable going right. He showed some promise with playmaking duties but may be better suited alongside a primary ball-handler while he works on reducing errors in that role.

Bio

Position: Guard
School: Michigan
College experience: Sophomore
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 186 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-8
Max vertical: 36 inches

2022-23 stats with Michigan

Strengths

• Fantastic finisher; scored 71.1% of his attempts at the rim, an incredible rate for a guard.
• Showed great upside as a shooter with 48.2/35.5/82.9 splits.
• Combines active hands with good footwork on defense to force deflections; projects to be able to guard both backcourt positions.

Weaknesses

• Didn't adjust well when lane gets taken away; tends to force a bad pass or attempt tough shots.
• May need to add mass to his frame; struggles with getting around screens.
• Has good control on his dribble but not one that'll frequently get him past defenders.

NBA comparable: Delon Wright. The Utah product was already a more dependable facilitator coming off his sophomore year at Utah, but the two still share a host of similarities. After putting up 14.5 points per game, 5.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and shooting 35.6% from deep as a sophomore combo guard with the Utes, Wright measured 6-foot-4 (without shoes), 181 pounds, and with a 6-foot-8 wingspan at the 2016 combine - numbers all nearly equivalent to Bufkin. Wright, like Bufkin, was also best in college when he could get downhill and attack, the difference being that he was better at finding the open man. Wright has proven his defense translates to the NBA level, something that'll be key in carving out Bufkin's long-term role as a pro.