For most of Trae Young’s career, the Atlanta Hawks have been a strong offensive team. From 2020 to 2024, they never ranked below 12th in offensive rating during the regular season. However, they fell to 17th this season. Moreover, the offensive flow and efficiency plummet when the four-time All-Star point guard heads to the bench. Atlanta lacks playmakers and creators on the perimeter outside of Young, forcing defenses to collapse on strong drives to the rim. When Jalen Johnson’s 2024-25 campaign ended abruptly due to a torn labrum in January, this issue became even more prevalent. Dyson Daniels served as the de facto backup point guard for most of this season, but his lack of shooting, on top of a roster that lacked sufficient spacing, hurt the Hawks’ offense. Atlanta must address these offensive struggles heading into the 2025-26 campaign.
3 Potential Options for the Hawks’ Backup Point Guard Role
Can Kobe Bufkin Stay Healthy to Take the Position?
The Hawks took Kobe Bufkin with the 15th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but the former University of Michigan guard has only played in 27 NBA contests. He suffered a right shoulder subluxation last summer, preventing him from playing in the 2024 summer league. While he recovered to appear in 10 games this season, he and the Hawks determined it was best to undergo season-ending surgery to address shoulder instability. Bufkin’s rookie campaign was also cut short due to a toe sprain and a fractured thumb.
At 6-foot-4, inches, Bufkin has good size at the point guard position. The 21-year-old likely gets the first crack at the backup one to start next season. He played both shooting and point guard in his two seasons a Michigan but performed better as the lead ball handler. Bufkin averaged 14 points and 2.9 assists in his second season in college. He showed a knack for driving and using his strong left hand to finish 67% around the rim, while also shooting 35.5% from deep on 3.7 attempts per game. Bufkin also flashed some impressive perimeter defense, staying in front of quick guards like Jalen Green on this play.
Kobe Bufkin was the
under the
saying, ‘You may not pass.’ pic.twitter.com/XxNn2F40Ym
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) February 11, 2024
Atlanta desperately needs a threat off the bench to put pressure on opposing defenses. Can Bufkin prove to be that guy? The Hawks have yet to see what Bufkin can provide consistently, but they will likely give their 15th pick from two seasons ago one more shot to seize this opportunity.
The Hawks Could Address Young’s Backup in the Draft
Atlanta has picks 13 and 22 in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Hawks could take a point guard as an insurance policy if Bufkin does not perform well. At 6-foot-8 (without shoes), Egor Demin, out of Brigham Young University, offers unique positional versatility on the perimeter.
He is one of the best passers in this draft, averaging 5.5 assists this season, and operates well in the pick-and-roll. Demin creates shots for his teammates in transition with ease, which fits well with Atlanta’s third-ranked pace this season. However, questions arise when projecting his burst in the halfcourt, outside shooting, and scoring at the NBA level. He shot 27.3% from downtown on 4.7 attempts.
Jase Richardson offers more of a scoring threat. He averaged 12.1 points per game in his one season at Michigan State University and shot 41.2% from deep. He can play on the ball in the pick-and-roll or excel moving off the ball in the flow of an offense, giving him more scoring versatility than Demin. However, he only dished out 1.9 assists across 25.3 minutes per game, signaling more of a combo scoring guard than a playmaker.
He measured 6 feet without shoes at the NBA Draft combine, which hurts his draft stock. It is hard to see Atlanta playing Richardson and Young, two small guards, at the one for 48 minutes, but the scoring potential is intriguing.
Featured image: © Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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