Barlow has been a consistent player for the Sixers all season as he has been able to find his niche as an energy player in the lineup. He’s been able to do a lot of different things for Philadelphia in terms of moving off the ball to shoot, grabbing big rebounds and being a versatile defender.
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Tyrese Maxey, the leader of this Sixers team, recognizes Barlow’s unique abilities and wants to see more of the big man.
“He does a lot of things that are interesting. You know what I mean?” Maxey said. “Defensively, he can guard so many different positions, and then offensively, he has game. He has control. He can finish around the rim, and I’ve been encouraging him to keep shooting those threes. He and Jabari (Walker) shoot those corner threes. If guys try to attack us, shoot those threes, knock them down and make them pay.”
Barlow is shooting just 25% from deep on the season, but he hit a corner 3-pointer on Saturday against the Mavs. If he keeps making those shots, then they’ll have a great chance to get in. It will take reps and consistent work to become that consistent corner shooter the Sixers are looking for.
Another great thing Barlow can do is attack closures. He can put the ball on the floor while faking a dribble with Maxey or any of the other guards and getting to the basket. The star point guard has encouraged Barlow to continue doing that.
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“I just told him, listen, we can play a two-man game if you feel like you can give me the DHO, go ahead, but a lot of times defenses will try not to get off my body, so you’ll have that space to fake that DHO and make a play,” Maxey explained. “He’s done a very good job at that.”
The biggest thing about Barlow so far is the fact that he plays very hard every night while showing a high basketball IQ by being in the right spots on both ends of the court. If he’s going to continue doing this, then the Sixers will be big beneficiaries of what he can do.
“He’s pretty smart, man,” Maxey finished. “For someone who hasn’t played that long, he’s really smart. He knows the game. He knows how to play with a short pass in the pocket. He can make plays, he can make passes and he can score. So his basketball IQ is really high.”
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Tyrese Maxey reveals what he wants from Sixers big man Dominick Barlow.