The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the best teams in the NBA early in the year. They currently sit second in the Eastern Conference standings. Only Boston is ahead of them after losing to them in their first regular-season meeting.
Injuries have avoided the starting lineup for the most part. However, several bench players have had to deal with injuries. Backup big man Dominick Barlow is one of them. The Sixers have now given a disappointing update on his return.
76ers Dominick Barlow Out for the Foreseeable Future
The latest injury update given by the team has Barlow without a timetable for return. He is currently dealing with a back injury. That’s bad news for a team that doesn’t have a viable backup big to play behind Joel Embiid. Barlow is officially dealing with a cervical spine sprain.
Adem Bona will be out at least another week before being re-evaluated.
Dominck Barlow participated in shootaround today as part of his reintegration into team activities, but no timeline.
LeBron James and Joel Embiid remain questionable
On the bright side, Barlow did participate in shootaround Thursday morning. That indicates that some sort of progress has been made in his recovery. Barlow has not played a game this season. The 76ers have played well without a backup center so far, but that likely won’t last.
Last season with the Sixers, Barlow averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He also shot 53.9 percent from the field and 25.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. He played 23.8 minutes per game, so he was a big part of the rotation.
If he were healthy, Barlow would likely slot in behind Embiid as a small-ball five. With Adem Bona also dealing with an injury, Barlow would have an increased opportunity for playing time. It seems that he needs a little bit more time to recover before that is viable.
The 76ers’ biggest weakness is the backup center spot. Behind Embiid, they don’t have anyone they can rely on at the moment. There is a chance that they try to trade for someone, but that decision doesn’t have to be made for a few more months.
The Sixers Have Developed Chemistry Quickly
Despite all of the new pieces, this 76ers team has developed chemistry quickly. Defensively, they are much better than they are offensively. On offense, the team is still figuring out the best way to attack teams, especially in the half-court. However, they have the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA.
Philadelphia hasn’t had to deal with many injuries to the starting lineup yet, so the full force of the depth hasn’t had to come out. Embiid usually misses at least 20 games in the regular season, so they have to have a plan for that. That’s part of the reason Philly added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.
Those two players will be able to take the pressure off Embiid when he plays. When Embiid doesn’t play, those two can pick up the slack. Brown is one of the most durable players in the league.
76ers Give Disappointing Update on Key Backup Dominick Barlow