When the Philadelphia 76ers signed Dominick Barlow to a two-way deal last summer, they probably envisioned him as a low-risk, high-reward prospect whom they can integrate into the regular rotation from time to time and contribute largely on the defensive end. Not a lot of people probably had him being a full-time starter on their bingo cards, but here we are.
Not only has Barlow emerged as one of the more unexpected starters in the association, but he is also starting to expand his horizons as a player. During the 76ers’ latest win over the Mavericks, Barlow turned in 21 points, which was easily his season-high in scoring this.
In 30 minutes of gameplay, Barlow drained nine of his 13 shots while also converting on a three-pointer. And of course, he continued his across-the-board production, peppering in four rebounds, a couple of dimes, and two steals to round out arguably one of his best games of the season. If he can continue doing this, the 76ers will be in much better position to win games.
The 76ers get an unexpected boost from Dominick Barlow
Initially pegged as a traditional big man who is especilly proficient in finishing above the rim, Barlow has outgrown that mold in Philly. While his numbers so far this season remain modest at best, his game has become much more mature on nearly all facets, impacting the game beyond what the boxscore indicates.
Barlow is one of the team’s better defenders when it comes to both one-on-one situations and team-wide schemes. He has been a rather easy piece to integrate for Nick Nurse and the coaching staff, and his solid rebounding has also come in handy at times.
Offensively, while not much of a floor-spacer, he makes up for it by being a good connector. He knows how to read the defense and does not make a lot of mistakes with the ball in his hands. He is a good finisher in the paint, although that has been underutilized, albeit by design given the team’s plethora of creators.
But if Barlow can consistently assert himself on the scoring end, he will do himself a huge favor. He is still auditioning for a standard contract as a two-way guy, and him unlocking that part of his game would ensure that he stays with the franchise for quite some time.
Even better, him getting that confidence as a scorer will only elevate the team’s primary creators. After all, teams do tend to sag off him when he is on the hardwood, so punishing those schemes will be crucial to make the 76ers starting unit more foolproof.