The sentence "no timeline yet for a return to play" made Philadelphia 76ers fans paranoid about Dominick Barlow ahead of the matchup against the Toronto Raptors this week.
I get it. So many years of unclear timelines and minimal messaging regarding injuries from the organization, you're bound to lose trust in the 76ers on that front at some point.
The lack of a timeline is concerning, but there is a positive part to the Dominick Barlow update that's not getting the same attention. It's the fact that Barlow was deemed a participant in Thursday morning's shootaround ahead of the Raptors game.
While that doesn't guarantee that Barlow will be on the court as soon as Thursday (he was ruled out on Wednesday night already), but it's the most progress he has made so far. Since the offseason, Barlow hasn't done much with the 76ers on a game or practice level, after suffering a back injury that is taking a while to heal fully.
The 76ers need Barlow back stat
The 76ers are gambling with their frontcourt depth at the moment. The four and the five is unbalanced, leaving guys to put their versatility to the test. Joel Embiid is healthy enough to play, but the 76ers are trying to keep his minutes in check.
Adem Bona is currently out with an injury, and he isn't going to be on the court for at least another week. He's already got three absences in a row. Ariel Hukporti isn't going to suit up for the Sixers this season due to an Achilles injury.
LeBron James, Dean Wade, and Jabari Walker are all options to fill in at center, but the first two need to stick with their natural position as much as possible. Walker has been doing what he can, but he already had an injury himself this season. And Embiid can't be relied on to be available for every game. Barlow is an additional helping hand that the Sixers need back as soon as possible. He's not going to patch up the problems at center, but he gives them another option while they gamble with depth.
Last year, Barlow appeared in 71 games for the 76ers. He started 59 of those matchups, averaging 23.8 minutes per game. The veteran forward shot 53.9% from the field, producing 7.7 points per game.
He also came down with 4.8 rebounds per game. Just a small percentage of Barlow's workload came at center last year (11%, per Basketball Reference), but he knows Nick Nurse's system and can fit in right away. We don't know when he's coming back, but I don't think he would participate in shootaround if he were still far away.
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