#14 Kobe Bufkin
Height: 6’5
Weight: 195 pounds
School: Michigan
Position: SG
Class: Sophomore
WHO
Although Kobe Bufkin’s big boom in his sophomore year rocketed him to the upper regions of many mock drafts, his development as a touted prospected and highly-scouted guard begins at Grand Rapids Christian High School (MI), where he dominated Michigan high schools. As a four-star recruit, he racked up invitations to both the Jordan Brand Classic and Mcdonalds’ All-American Games. Bufkin received offers from LSU, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan, before eventually choosing the latter.
Bufkin was buried behind a wealth of Wolverines depth in his freshman season. He averaged 10.6 minutes per game, 3 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.4 steals, and 0.3 assists. Although Michigan ran to the Sweet Sixteen, Bufkin wasn’t a key part of the team.
But with the departure of many Michigan guards; DeVante’ Jones, Eli Brooks, and Caleb Houstan, to name a few; Bufkin suddenly saw a lot of playing time. He made the most of it, and although he started off slow, we eventually saw the Bufkin that Juwan Howard saw two years prior.
Bufkin averaged 34 minutes per game, 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks. He found his groove as a downhill dribbler who can finish anywhere, anytime. We saw that in several games, like when Bufkin exploded for 28 points on 10-21 shooting in a thrilling, pivotal win over Wisconsin. Or when he went off for 23 points against Toledo in the NIT, nabbing eight rebounds and five assists in the process.
Bufkin is versatile, to say the least. He does everything right on the court, and although he doesn’t have a standout quality, something that immediately grabs teams’ attention, he’s still someone to track. He can finish well at the rim but is also an excellent playmaker and distributor of the ball. Bufkin’s also a pesky defender, something that comes in handy in a draft loaded with defensive specialists.
One thing that could keep Bufkin from having a long NBA career is his build. Weighing in at just 195 pounds, Bufkin’s slight build could mean that larger or older guards could bully him around when it comes to the paint. He also makes some weird decisions on offense, and he’s a streaky shooter, but none of these things are major red flags.
WHY
Teams should want Bufkin because he’s a battering ram on offense and an explosive finisher who won’t stop if teams give him the chance to start. He’s a pretty good shooter, near automatic from the free throw line, and usually hot from range. He’s also an intelligent attacker comfortable playing in different positions and feeding his teammates,
Bufkin’s defensive game is less appealing than his offensive game, but there are no worrying patches that could send him spiraling down the big board. Teams like the Raptors, Pelicans, and Thunder are looking at drafting him near the end of the lottery, which is where fans should expect him to be drafted.
PRO SCOUT QUOTES
Right now, Bufkin is more of the ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ guard. He’s got good size and athletic traits, a really projectable shot off the bounce or the catch, efficient finishing with both hands and the quick hands and instincts to be a plus defender. Even while he’s been statistically impactful and flashed all those skills as positives, he doesn’t really have a signature skill or area where he impacts the game.
Adam Spinella, The Box and One
While not the most powerful athlete he’s got plenty of speed, burst and above-the-rim ability. He’s crafty with the ball, has good handles, changes pace well, and is a good finisher (mainly with his left hand). He’s got an advanced mid-range game and really knows how to create space for his shot, despite not having elite quickness.
NBA Draft Room
Kobe Bufkin is an ideal combo guard as a shooter, defender, and ability to play multiple roles with any game. In games Kobe Bufkin wasn’t scoring, or wasn’t scoring efficiently (both rare instances) he still found ways to impact the game on both ends of the floor. With a high motor, outstanding instincts, and the ability to make his teammates better both offensively and defensively, Kobe Bufkin has a supremely high floor in the NBA.
Richard Stayman, MavsDraft.com
Considering Bufkin is not a point guard, I’d love to see him go somewhere where he could play with an elite point guard. The Portland Trail Blazers make a lot of sense for him; playing off Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons could help him out a lot.
At his very worst, Bufkin could be a bench player who provides solid defense and make a few shots on the other end. Some playoff teams drafting in the 20s, like the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets, could use more guards like that.
Kellen Voss, Maize N Brew
Bufkin has enough NBA support to be able to skip NBA combine scrimmages. But the consensus is he’s more of a No. 15-30 prospect, as there are still some questions about his potential to create separation and shoot NBA threes. I’m higher on Bufkin and his shot-making, along with his two-way playmaking instincts and outstanding 71.1 percent finishing at the rim. His 48.9 percentage on long twos and 84.9 free-throw percentage ultimately bode well for his shooting development.
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report
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