Kobe Bufkin Unleashes a Statement Game: The Hawks May Have Seen Just What They Needed To See From Him

Coming into his third season with the Hawks, former first round pick Kobe Bufkin was under the microscope heading into this year's Summer League. Bufkin's first two seasons have been cut short due to injury and he needed a good showing in Summer League to provide hope that this is the year that he puts it all together for Atlanta.

He is off to a good start.

Bufkin played lights out yesterday against the Miami Heat, as he finished the game as one of the most impactful players to step on the court. To end the game, he finished with 29 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks in his first game back from injury since he had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder instability on January 7 of this year.

Kobe Bufkin drops 29 PTS in the Hawks' #NBA2KSummerLeague opener 🔥🔥

Adds 3 REB, 3 AST, & 2 BLK as ATL completes the 4Q comeback over Miami! pic.twitter.com/tionVZSOGe
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025

Bufkin did a solid job of mixing up his game yesterday, and it showed in his ability to get to the basket, make a couple of three-point shots, and draw fouls, where he made 15 of 15 free throws in 26 minutes. His plus-minus, however, was a +15. For those who are unfamiliar, plus-minus is a statistic used to evaluate a player's impact on the court, both offensively and defensively, on their team.

The team's offense was free-flowing with Bufkin in the game, which was unusual for the team to exhibit such cohesiveness in this regard. Bufkin spoke after the game on how, after being hurt last season, he still studied the Hawks roster and how he could fit his game into the system, which impacted the outcome of this game:

“I was hurt, but I was paying attention a lot, watching a lot of film, breaking down each game that the Hawks played, the big dogs played. So, I understand the system through and through, I feel like so just being able to pour my knowledge in where I can when the coaches need me, I think that’s a big reason why we’ve been able to be successful.”

Best news Hawks fans could get from this game is that Kobe Bufkin looks like he doesn’t belong in Summer League. His shot and decision making have been NBA level (as they should be)
— Caleb Johnson (@ATLjohnson18) July 11, 2025

This performance marked a promising start in the right direction for Bufkin, as he demonstrated that he should be on the Hawks' main roster for the season and that he is developing in the right direction, despite having missed multiple seasons due to shoulder injuries. However, this will continue to help the Hawks' bench on the main roster if he continues to build his game, as he can be a reliable two-way player who can be effective off the bench for the Hawks.

Kobe Bufkin was the best player on the court

Exactly what you want to see if you’re the Hawks
— Grant Shirley (@Grant_Shirley4) July 11, 2025

Bufkin's impact on the Hawks' scoring was evident in both halves of play, as he was the lead scorer for the Hawks with 10 points in the first half and 19 in the second. Most of his 19 came in the fourth quarter, where he helped lead a 13-0 run by the Hawks and scored 17 points in the fourth quarter for the huge comeback win.

I want to be clear that even though this is just Summer League and it may not mean much in terms of the present, it should still give Hawks fans hope for even more special things to come this season and in the future, if Bufkin can continue building on his two-way playing abilities.

Kobe Bufkin Unleashes a Statement Game: The Hawks May Have Seen Just What They Needed To See From Him

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