The Philadelphia 76ers already have injured bodies before training camp even begins, reinforcing the fact that the coaching staff will once again find it imperative to dig deep into their bench and look for solutions to patch up the attendant depth issues that will ensue once their key players start missing games as expectedm and other cogs get cudgeled into bigger roles.
That is precisely a tall order, especially since the 76ers have had one of their worst second-units in the league for quite some time now thanks to their top-heavy roster construction when it comes to talent. However, that needs to change as soon as next season, lest they risk replicating what happened in the previous campaign where they basically punted on their season thanks to their sheer incapacity to fill in for their missing key cogs.
Fortunately, the 76ers stand to have a better bench squad next season, at least on paper. Aside from a couple of sage veterans, the team was able to infuse a lot of youth outside of their opening group, giving the team a more sustainable and less fragile air to them.
And if the right opportunity comes along, the team might just be able to unleash a breakout candidate in the form of Dominick Barlow, one of their new additions this summer.
Dominick Barlow could be a sleeper breakout candidate for the 76ers next season
Barlow, who was surprisingly available for a two-way deal this summer, ended up signing such a deal with the 76ers. Having just turned 22, he will be entering his fourth year in the league after stops in San Antonio and Atlanta.
On paper, the springy big man does not have the stylings of someone who will see the floor much next season given his two-way status. However, if minutes start opening at power forward and center and the 76ers suffer injuries as they typically do, Barlow can easily prove to be a hell of a bargain.
A dominant force in the G-League, Barlow has not yet been able to showcase his game in the league due to his sparse court time. He has average just 12.5 minutes per contest in his career, hardly enough for him to flaunt his development as an ahtletic and mobile big man.
Barlow has some shot creation skills as a big, and he has a workable shooting stroke. His reboundingis easily above average, while he is also fluid enough defensively to be a great complementary piece on that end.
A lot of players are currently ahead of him in the depth chart, but the 76ers should be able to give Barlow some run next season. And given the team’s dynamic and abundance of creation in the backcourt, he has what it takes to be an impactful player in spurts as a play finisher.