The Philadelphia 76ers are doing whatever they can to stay afloat in the playoff race out East despite missing a slew of highly important cogs, but as one might expect, they are simply outmatched in a lot of instances. Their role players have filled in admirably, but they can only do so much. But amid their increased exposure, one "issue" in particular continues to go under the radar –– Dominick Barlow.
No, Barlow has been perfectly fine. He has retained his starting role and has provided his usual dose of energy on the defensive end. However, while his future is bright, the 76ers have to do something about a gaping hole in his game –– his lack of presence out in the perimeter. While it is way too early to make a prognosis about his future, he has to be empowered to expand his game.
Still only 22 years old, the spry big man's best years are ahead of him. For now, his activity on the defensive end and on-court smarts as a connector are valuable given his current role on the squad, but that presumes an ideal world where the 76ers have all of their best players. But within the operative context of a more featured role, his game has felt stagnant, and that needs to change.
The 76ers need Dominick Barlow to become a more viable piece on the offensive end
Lineups featuring Barlow and Embiid have been among the best configurations for the 76ers this season, which quells some concerns about how viable he is next to another center despite his lack of three-point shooting. However, with the former MVP constantly sidelined, it is not feasible for him to stay caged in his current offering.
Barlow has shown some shooting touch, and the 76ers have to bring that out of him and allow him to utilize it on a regular basis. While the numbers do not look good right now (the Hawks likewise tried turning him into a standstill shooter last season, but to no avail), there is really no other way to unlock that part of his game than to empower him to be proactive on that end.
He has been rock-solid for the 76ers this season, and he figures to be a part of this team for the foreseeable future. That being said, his ceiling will be heavily limited if he does not expand his game on the scoring end. That might sound like glib and plain sailing, but it is the reality in the modern NBA.
And given how the 76ers are constructed, that becomes imperative for him moving forward.