Dominick Barlow Faces Former Team, Continues to Impress in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA - When the Sixers tipped off against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, the matchup carried a little extra weight for forward Dominick Barlow. It was his first game this season against the team he suited up for just months ago - and a reminder of how far he’s come in a short time.
Barlow spent part of the 2024-25 campaign in Atlanta, appearing in 35 games and carving out a role during a stretch when the Hawks were dealing with injuries up front. His numbers there - 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game - don’t leap off the page, but his impact went beyond the box score. He gave the Hawks something every team values: a reliable, team-first player who knows how to keep the wheels turning.
Before Sunday’s double-overtime thriller - a 142-134 win for the Hawks - Atlanta head coach Quin Snyder took a moment to reflect on Barlow’s time in Atlanta. And the praise was anything but generic.
“He really knows how to play,” Snyder said. “He gave us, in a stretch where we really needed someone to come in and not only give us good minutes, but kinda connect the team.”
That word - connect - speaks volumes. Coaches don’t throw it around lightly.
It means Barlow wasn’t just filling space on the court; he was facilitating chemistry, moving the ball, making the right reads, and keeping the group locked in. Snyder called it “unusual” for a player in Barlow’s role to have that kind of effect, and he’s not wrong.
It’s rare to find a young forward who can pass, handle, defend, and still understand the flow of the game well enough to elevate those around him.
Now in Philadelphia, Barlow is building on that foundation. He’s averaging 7.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks - solid, well-rounded production that reflects his growing confidence and expanded role. And maybe more importantly, he’s doing it within the framework of a Sixers team that’s still figuring out its identity.
Barlow isn’t the kind of player who’ll dominate highlight reels or fill up fantasy stat sheets. But he’s the kind of player coaches trust - and that trust is starting to pay dividends in Philly. His ability to impact the game in multiple ways - whether it’s contesting shots, making the extra pass, or simply being in the right spot - is exactly what teams need from their rotation players.
The Sixers are giving Barlow a platform to continue evolving, and he’s making the most of it. His time in Atlanta helped shape his approach, and now he’s bringing that same energy - that same connective tissue - to a new locker room.
In a league where roles can change overnight and opportunity is everything, Barlow is showing he belongs. And based on what we’ve seen so far, he’s just getting started.