Dominick Barlow’s back injury is still in the spotlight, but there’s at least a little movement on that front. After being diagnosed with a lumbar spine bone stress response and ruled out for at least two weeks on October 19, the Sixers forward is scheduled to meet with a specialist on Tuesday, head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Monday.
That update could easily have sounded worse than it did. Nurse said Barlow has already been doing some work on the court, and the hope inside the organization is that Tuesday brings good news and allows Philadelphia to keep increasing the 23-year-old’s workload. Before Monday’s game against Chicago, Kris Rhim of ESPN reported that Barlow looked “explosive” while on the court.
The Sixers have managed just fine without him so far this season, but Barlow’s return would still matter. His size and versatility give Philadelphia another option in the frontcourt, including the ability to slide into some small-ball center minutes.
Elsewhere around the Atlantic, Dean Wade has quickly become one of the more useful pieces in Philadelphia’s early-season mix. Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com wrote that the veteran forward, a somewhat under-the-radar addition in an offseason that also brought in LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, has been a steady glue guy and has already won over teammates and coaches. Nurse pointed to Wade’s cutting as a welcome surprise, while Tyrese Maxey was especially complimentary about his overall value.
“He’s in the position where some nights he’ll start, some nights he won’t start, some nights he’ll play five, some nights he’ll guard Jalen Brunson, he’ll guard KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns),” Maxey said. “He’s - I love Dean Wade.”
In New York, The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy raised the possibility that the Knicks could eventually look at moving Mikal Bridges as a way to ease a looming cap problem. Bondy stressed that he was not calling for that kind of move, but argued it would be preferable to some other outcomes, including the possibility of losing Towns in free agency. He also said Bridges, not Josh Hart, is the most movable of New York’s five highest-paid players.
Boston has made a couple of lineup tweaks, too. Neemias Queta, who started 75 games for the Celtics last season, was back in the first five on Sunday with Mitchell Robinson resting and remained there Monday even though Robinson was available, according to Bobby Manning of CLNS Media. Hugo Gonzalez also picked up his first two starts of the season on Sunday and Monday, stepping in for Jordan Walsh, who has also gotten off to a slow start this fall, along with Robinson.
And in Brooklyn, the 1-5 Nets are already drawing bigger-picture questions. C.J.
Holmes of The New York Daily News suggested that another sluggish start - after three straight years in the lottery - could force the franchise to confront issues around competitiveness, accountability and where the group is headed. Holmes wrote that even if a playoff push isn’t a realistic expectation right now, the team’s evaluation process should “become more demanding” as the season goes on, and that the Nets need to give their fans a reason to feel better about what’s next.
In Other News...
Sixers May Have Found A Real Answer When Embiid Sits
Replacing Joel Embiid is never going to be a clean one-for-one proposition, and the Sixers know it. When he sits, the problem is not just scoring, but the way his size and presence change everything behind the play, especially on the defensive end. In that context, the recent game against the Charlotte Hornets offered a useful glimpse at a different kind of solution, one built less around filling Embiids shoes and more around keeping the floor from tilting.
Adem Bona and Jabari Walker looked like a pairing that can give Philadelphia some real stability in those minutes, even if it is not meant to mimic Embiids offense. The idea is more rotational than transformational, but that matters for a team that needs workable answers when its centerpiece is off the court. If the Sixers can keep leaning into that combination, they may have found a practical way to survive the stretches that usually expose them. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid's Status Suddenly Looms Over Sixers Vs Bulls
Joel Embiids availability is again hanging over the 76ers as they prepare to face the Bulls, with the star center listed as questionable because of right foot plantar fascia management. He already sat out the previous game on the second night of a back-to-back, and through the early part of the season he has appeared in five of seven games, a reminder of how carefully Philadelphia is having to manage his workload.
The injury report also leaves the Sixers a little thinner elsewhere, with Dominick Barlow and Ariel Hukporti ruled out. For a team trying to keep its rotation steady while protecting Embiids health, the status report adds another layer of uncertainty heading into a matchup that already carries plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
Dean Wade Is Helping The Sixers But One Issue Still Looms
Dean Wade has given the 76ers something useful early in the season, especially on the defensive end and as a connective passer. He has fit into the rotation with real value, and the team clearly sees why he matters: he plays significant minutes, helps stabilize possessions, and has already shown he can make life easier for teammates around him.
The bigger question is whether Philadelphia can get more aggression from him as a scorer. The Sixers pushed Wade to shoot more during training camp, but he has stayed reluctant to let it fly, leaving his points and field-goal attempts low for the amount of run he is getting. If that hesitation sticks, it could cap how much offensive upside the team can squeeze from a player who otherwise has been doing plenty of the little things right. [Read more 🡒]