2024-25 Hawks Roster Preview: Dominick Barlow

The third-year forward brings a lot of intriguing skills - particularly as a rebounder - to Atlanta on his two-way contract.

Mar 19, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Dominick Barlow (26) drives against Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (42) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Age: 21 (3rd season)

Height, Weight: 6'9, 221 lbs

2023-24 Averages: 4.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists on 49.6%/33.3%/69% splits (33 games)

Career Averages: 4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists on 51.3%/23.1%/70% splits (33 games)

Dominick Barlow might not be the biggest name on Atlanta's roster, but he has to be one of its most intriguing. After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, he landed with the San Antonio Spurs on a two-way deal. For some context, Barlow decided to play with the Overtime Elite rather than a college program and put up 14.8 points on 58.5% shooting from midrange and 34% from three-point range in OTE. Holding his own against pro players at the age of 18 is a positive sign for his development.

In his rookie year, he played sparingly and spent most of his time in the G League. As he grew stronger, he started to find his groove and averaged 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds in 18 games with the Austin Spurs. He then found his way into the Spurs' rotation at the end of the year, capping off a late-season breakout with 21 points and 19 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks in the final game of the year. For some reference, he would have been the youngest NBA player to ever record a 20-20 statline with one more rebound.

Already, this should indicate that Barlow is not necessarily a typical two-way player. His 2023-24 season was even more encouraging. Rather than just playing well in the G League, he began to dominate his competition. He upped his points per game to 23.7 to go along with 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. When he got looks at the NBA level, he showed some legitimate utility as a two force. Barlow frequently uses his floater around the rim and found some success with it, albeit limited. Around the rim, he hit 58% of his shots to pair with a shooting percentage of 48.3% from 3-10 feet and 48% from 10-16 feet. Both of his percentages between 3-16 feet are better than league average. He's a strange archetype of player where his midrange shot is better than his finishing, despite being 6'9.

In Atlanta, I expect him to be used as a roll threat with Trae Young. Young is one of the best pick-and-roll operators in the NBA - it should be extremely easy to get Barlow involved. His push shot coming off a screen is one of his most reliable looks. In San Antonio, Barlow's threat as an offensive option was slightly more legitimate due to the dearth of offensive creators around Victor Wembenyama. Things should be better in Atlanta. Young and Jalen Johnson are both capable of scoring 20+ points on any given night while Bogdanovic is almost a lock for 15. In his minutes, it's highly unlikely that Barlow will be higher than the fourth option on offense. That should work in his favor.

Another part of Barlow's game that should be utilized in 2024-25 is his ability as a cutter. He shows a good understanding of when to cut and how to make himself a threat in the midrange. Again, working off of a primary offensive engine like Young will fit very well with this skillset.

On defense, he is definitely still learning, but there are real tools there. He has the athleticism to serve as a good screen defender and get into passing lanes. He also shows some signs of being able to hold up as a rotational defender and played well as a drop coverage defender. There is a lot of work to be done, but there is a possibility Barlow becomes one of the Hawks' better defenders as the season goes on.

Best-Case Scenario for 2024-25: Barlow's shooting touch takes another leap, he becomes more comfortable as a defender and he consistently finds himself in the rotation at the end of the season as the ninth or tenth man.

Worst-Case Scenario for 2024-25: He is unable to break into the Hawks' rotation and spends practically the entire season in the G League. In the minutes he does get, he looks overtaxed as a defender and never finds any chemistry with Young.