Heading into their Tuesday night clash with the Chicago Bulls for early control of the Eastern Conference's first seed, the 76ers may still be without their starting poer forward, Dominick Barlow. The 22-year-old is still listed as a game time decision after missing three straight games with an elbow laceration. Barlow joins stars like Paul George and Jared McCain on the injury report, although the two-way forward is expected to return to the floor much sooner than PG and McCain.
Barlow signed with Philly in the offseason after spending two years in San Antonio and his third year in Atlanta. Barlow's initial claim to fame was being the first player from Overtime Elite to make an NBA roster. Barlow played 28 games in his rookie year, made his first start in his second season with the Spurs, and started four games for the Hawks last season.
Daryl Morey clearly noticed the New Jersey native's upside, as the 6'9" forward with loads of bounce and a knack for finding the ball off the rim was signed to a two-way contract in early July. Nick Nurse trusted Barlow with the starting spot heading into the season, although what the 76ers starting five will look like when George returns from injury is still unclear.
Dominick Barlow seems to be an injury-prone addition to the 76ers
Unfortunately for Philly fans, this is not Barlow's first or second stint on the injury report in his brief NBA career. He missed the final eight games of the 2023 season with a left knee contusion, culminating in the Spurs failing to extend him a qualifying offer to stay in Texas. Last season, Barlow was largely healthy excepting three missed games in October owing to a lower back contusion. Atlanta initially extended Barlow to a multi-year contract, before declining his option heading into this year's free agency.
NBA seasons are grueling marathons which send most players to the injury report at some point or another. Between back-to-back games and constant travel, the human body is not designed to undergo that level of physical stress. 76ers fans remember the constant injuries to players like Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, Jimmy Butler, and the ever-hobbled Joel Embiid. Back injuries, knee injuries, and contusions requiring unexpected surgical procedures are all too common in the modern NBA.
The 76ers medical staff has an unfortunate track record to say the least. Rare is the player who finds himself on this team's Injury Report without lasting consequences. Maybe Barlow is the exception to the rule. Maybe his elbow heals this week and this stretch from late October to early November marks his only stay on the injury report for the season. He could suit up against Chicago and all this concern would be for nothing. But injury luck has been the 76ers’ Achilles heel for far too long, and Dominick Barlow faces that same challenge early into his time in Philadelphia.