Another day goes by without the Philadelphia 76ers getting Dominick Barlow on the practice court. Preseason is winding down, and opportunity is fading for the veteran forward to get a hand in the ongoing center battle, which has left Nick Nurse with no choice but to consider small-ball options.
Unfortunately for Barlow, a back-related setback is holding him out. According to PHLY's Derek Bodner, Barlow is dealing with back soreness, which has kept him limited for most of camp. As we know, Barlow has yet to appear in a preseason matchup. With the finale approaching, he might roll into the regular season without any preseason reps under his belt.
Barlow takes the second-biggest hit of the offseason
The 76ers have been far from injury-free this offseason. While the entire starting five has been in great shape--and that includes the seven-footer Joel Embiid--some fighting for a key role have been placed in a difficult spot due to their health.
Adem Bona didn't get a chance to suit up at the start of camp due to a foot injury. He has yet to show face in the preseason and is still deemed a partial participant, with the finale just days away.
The other center, Ariel Hukporti, was healthy and available at the start, but he suffered a devastating Achilles injury during the Sixers' first preseason matchup against the New York Knicks. Tacko Fall is one of the non-guaranteed signees, and he's off the court with a hip injury.
It's hard to argue that Hukporti took the biggest hit of them all this year, but Barlow is a distant second for sure. An open opportunity for Barlow to showcase his value as a small-ball five would've been right in front of him. Instead, he's spending more time in recovery rather than on the court and battling for minutes with the likes of Jabari Walker and Adem Bona.
On a slightly positive note, the Sixers have a good idea of what Barlow brings to the table as a power forward already. Before the arrival of LeBron James and Dean Wade, Walker got a chance to appear in 71 games for the 76ers last year. He even started in 59 matchups.
With an average of 23.8 minutes per game, Barlow shot 53.9% from the field, putting up 7.7 points per game. He also came down with 4.8 rebounds per game and dished out 1.2 assists.
Barlow did enough to show the 76ers that he deserves a look when he can get it. However, the timing at this point is making his already-uphill climb to a role so much more difficult.
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