The Atlanta Hawks took the best player available when they selected Kobe Bufkin out of Michigan with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Some pundits had the combo guard as high as eighth on their draft board but in a Jalen Johnson-style stroke of luck, Bufkin fell outside the lottery and into the hands of the Hawks.
Some questions may be raised about why the Hawks took a guard when they already have a backcourt with the most potential in the NBA. Trae Young is the team’s superstar point guard and Dejounte Murray is the second star in the lineup who can create for himself and facilitate for others.