Kobe Bufkin's Shocking Year 2 Jump Has Thrust Him Into Lottery Consideration for Raptors

The Toronto Raptors will have to consider Kobe Bufkin with the 13th pick in the NBA Draft after the Michigan guard's stellar sophomore season

Aaron Rose | Jun 8, 2023

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

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Maybe Kobe Bufkin’s rise should have been obvious from the beginning.

It was clear there was something special about the 6-foot-4, then-175-pound freshman. He was different in the way he could glide through the air, putting the ball so effortlessly between his legs while maintaining enough body control to throw down monstrous dunks. Just days into his Michigan Wolverines career, he won the team’s dunk contest as an 18-year-old freshman, throwing the ball against the backboard before catching it for a windmill slam.

That jumping ability came to define Bufkin’s two-year Wolverines career. On the court, he became a ferocious finisher who shot 71% at the rim despite his slender frame. Off the court, Bufkin’s work ethic allowed him to make an even bigger jump as he soared from an overlooked rotation player as a freshman to a projected mid-first-round pick and potential draft target for the Toronto Raptors as a sophomore.

“He was expected to kind of take a step forward, and he took probably two or three steps forward,” said Michigan reporter Brandon Brown. “It was pretty shocking.”

Bufkin, 19, is somewhere between average to very good at almost everything on the court. He’s a crafty left-handed finisher who can attack off the dribble and use his explosiveness to finish through bigger defenders despite how now 187-pound frame. He averaged 14 points per game on 48.2% shooting with 2.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

His three-point shot sat at 35.5% on nearly four attempts per game, but was a little streaky at times, Brown said. That said, his 84.9% stroke from the free-throw line suggests he’ll be a good shooter long-term even if he’s not going to be considered the best in the draft.

“Luckily he does have some of those other things to fall back on,” Brown said. “His mid-range game was very solid at Michigan. Floater game is good and … maybe his best attribute is going all the way to the rack and finishing at the basket.”

Bufkin projects as a bit of a combo guard who shades more toward playing as a shooting guard. He’s not too dissimilar to Jordan Poole, a fellow Wolverine who spent two years at Michigan before making the jump to the NBA like Bufkin. He can handle the ball and work the pick-and-roll at a reliable rate, converting pick-and-roll attempts at a 44.5% clip, but that likely won’t be his primary role at the next level.

Defensively, Bufkin is a mixed bag. He’s a pesky defender with great hands. His 1.3 steals per game led all Wolverines and ranked ninth in the Big Ten. It’s clear he’s a smart defender too, Brown said.

“Good length. Good foot speed. He stays down in his position. He doesn’t get beat or burnt a lot. He doesn’t go for shot fakes,” Brown added. “I think he can be quite good.”

But Bufkin’s weight may prove problematic at the next level. He’s slight and his frame doesn’t seem conducive to adding weight, Brown said. Bigger guards and wings will likely pick on him, overpowering him with their muscles for buckets at the rim.

The Raptors have a need for players like Bufkin, especially if Gary Trent Jr. does leave in free agency this summer. Toronto’s lack of shot creation last season had the Raptors’ offense stalling in the half-court more often than not. Bufkin won’t necessarily solve that as a rookie, but he should help while meshing with Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes as another versatile offensive player both on and off the ball.

Toronto’s point-of-attack defense could also use a player like Bufkin whose quick feet would give them another option against some of the league’s speedier scorers.

Bufkin is tabbed to go right around Toronto’s pick at No. 13 and occasionally a little later. While drafting for need is rarely a good idea, Bufkin has already shown he’s full with another big jump potentially on the horizon.

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