The Philadelphia 76ers did not have a flashy turnout during last year's free agency, but if there is one silver lining for them, it is that they were able to secure a major bargain bin contract. Dominick Barlow, who showed promise during his earlier stints in the league, ended up becoming a part of the roster as a two-way addition, which was a pleasant surprise.
Barlow then went on to play his way into a standard NBA contract. However, his deal was shorter and more minuscule than people hoped for, which led to fans criticizing the then Daryl Morey-led front officefor playing it way too safe. Turns out, the 76ers brain trust made the right call all along, as handing the young big man that kind of deal ended up being the more sensible route to take.
Philly holds a team option amounting to $3.4 million for next season, although he could hit the open market this summer. It is far more likely that the team will exercise their club option, though. Even better, the configuration of his current deal will allow the front office to make a proper evaluation of him to determine whether he fits the team in the long run –– a proposition that has become quite shaky given how his role fluctuated when it mattered the most.
The 76ers made the right call with Dominick Barlow after all
Barlow suited up in 71 games for the 76ers during the regular season, starting in all but 12 of his appearances and logging nearly 24 minutes on the average. He turned in a respectable stat line of 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks a night while shooting almost 54 percent from the field, quietly cementing himself as their intangibles guy on the starting unit.
However, his role took a major hit come postseason time. In the playoffs, Barlow averaged just 10.7 minutes per outing, even racking up a couple of DNPs along the way. Nick Nurse and his coaching staff veered away from him and preferred to shorten the minutes available to the bench. Barlow ended up being the main casualty of that decision.
Part and parcel of what pushed Barlow down the pecking order in the playoffs was his complete lack of a presence out in the perimeter. Andre Drummond (and even Adem Bona) played ahead of him in the rotation, and Barlow only got the chance to play against the Knicks in the semis, where his defensive activity became much-needed.
If anything, this only goes to show that Barlow's prospect as a consistent piece for the 76ers in their rotation is capped by his limited skill set. The young big man brings a lot of resistance on the defensive end, but his scoring arsenal is so limited that playing him comes with certain concessions the team is simply not ready to make just yet, especially in high-stakes outings.
As such, the decision to reward him only with a short-term deal with a club option for next season makes a lot more sense than initially thought. Obviously, it would give the front office more time to pontificate on his viability with this squad. Now, they should have another full season to make the final verdict on his fate.
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