The arrival of LeBron James will force a lot of adjustments for the Philadelphia 76ers next season, especially for the players. Those bidding for more playing time and a bigger role will have to get acclimated to having the superstar on the floor, meaning that their off-ball utility needs to be a prominent part of their game. As such, it is no surprise to learn that Dominick Barlow is starting to reinvent himself ahead of the upcoming campaign.
In a recent exchange with Philly Voice's Adam Aaronson, Barlow stated that he is doubling down on revamping his shooting mechanics, which were affected a lot by his left elbow injury early last season. He specifically mentioned working on his corner three-point shot, noting that James is an elite passer and that hitting open perimeter shots will be of utmost importance.
The addition of LeBron is forcing Dominick Barlow to reinvent his game for the 76ers
Barlow was a major part of the 76ers' relative success during the regular season in the previous campaign. Despite entering the year as a two-way addition, he ended up starting in 59 out of 71 outings for the team, averaging 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and nearly one steal and one block per night.
However, his lack of a three-point shot (25.6 percent on just 1.2 attempts per contest) ultimately put a limit on his court time. When the playoffs hit, he barely even sniffed the floor, appearing in just nine postseason games and averaging under 11 minutes per game.
It is pretty clear that for Barlow to reprise his role during the regular season as a consistent role player, he has to improve as a three-point shooter. Now that Dean Wade is on the roster, he faces even more pressure to accelerate his development on that end. LeBron's arrival is only going to make that a categorical imperative.
Barlow's biggest strengths can be felt more on the non-quantifiable parts of the game, but he needs to be someone who can be a more direct contributor as well. His billing as a complementary piece will simply improve if he can be a player teams will have to defend out on the perimeter, especially with the 76ers touting even more talent and on-ball creation compared to last season.
James' foray as a Sixer is already being felt, which is a positive, yet challenging, situation for the role players. Hopefully, Dominick Barlow can have another breakthrough next season, especially since the 76ers already lit the fuse in his developmental arc in the previous campaign.
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