Earlier in the week, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse told the media that Dominick Barlow would get a re-evaluation soon.
The veteran forward has been dealing with a back injury since the offseason. The Sixers went through training camp with an extremely limited look at Barlow. He missed the entire preseason. When the team finally made its 2026-2027 regular-season debut, Barlow was ruled out. That's been the case throughout the first few weeks of action.
There was hope that this week's evaluation would offer some clarity on the veteran forward. The Sixers could use all of the depth in the front court possible, as they have limited bodies at the center position, especially due to the Achilles injury to Ariel Hukporti before the start of the season.
Before the Sixers tipped off against the Pistons, Nick Nurse revealed what he learned from the specialist that Barlow met with.
Not all of the news is good news
The good news: Dominick Barlow received what was described as "pretty good" results regarding his back. Since the 76ers haven't gotten into specifics when it comes to Barlow's actual diagnosis, taking the team's word for it is all anybody can do at this point in time. A prediction of 10-to-12 days before clearance is the most specific timeline Nurse has been able to offer at this point.
So, if it's pretty good, how is there bad news? Well, again, the 76ers need depth. Anything can happen on any given night. Hukporti was a prime example of that. For the most part, the 76ers have been pretty healthy. Some guys have setbacks that they are working through, but everybody but Hukporti and Barlow was healthy enough to play on Wednesday night on the road against the Pistons.
Still, there are issues to worry about. Joel Embiid is battling plantar fasciitis and missed multiple games to begin the season. It's clear that Embiid is not going to be playing in back-to-backs anytime soon. LeBron James is managing some of his lingering setbacks from last year--and he's in a similar boat as Embiid.
Adem Bona has been fully healthy after he dealt with a setback over the offseason, which is a good sign. But Dean Wade and Jabari Walker--both playing out of position sometimes at the five--have already had their share of setbacks this season as well. Nick Nurse seemed intrigued by the idea of giving Barlow a similar shot as Wade and Walker, but his back has prevented the young veteran from gaining that opportunity.
There's hope that in under two weeks, another reinforcement makes his way back.
Add us as a preferred source on Google