CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to play much more up tempo in the 2025-26 season. It makes sense following the offseason additions they made that started with the selection of VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick.
The Sixers then brought in Dominick Barlow, Trendon Watford, and Jabari Walker in free agency as the focus was to get younger, faster, and versatile. The overall vision seemed to come to life in the preseason finale on Friday when Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, and Co. were all able to get up and down the floor.
Barlow, signed to a two-way deal, but he has impressed in camp, fits this exact style for the Sixers. He’s athletic, runs the floor, offers size, and can play multiple positions. He offers what the Sixers want to do in terms of their pace.
“I love it,” Barlow stated. “Just how we’re playing. We’re playing with pace and space. It works for me, just finding wherever the open spaces on the floor. Just allows me to play hard, and the ball will find me.”
While Barlow can play that fast style of play, he can also play next to Joel Embiid in a slower pace. Barlow got a chance to see the big fella in a game setting and it just comes down to him finding open spaces on the floor to cut and get open looks. Embiid is a willing passer and he found that out in the finale.
“It was great to just see, like, the gravity that he kind of has when the ball’s in his hands,” Barlow said of Embiid. “So, just understanding how to find open space, kind of when he has that, and he’s gonna get a bunch of double teams. You send 2, 3, 4 guys at him so understanding when to cut, when to flash, just how I can be effective as an off-ball player.”
While Barlow was able to get some time in with Embiid for the first time on Friday, he has been playing with Edgecombe throughout the preseason. He has been impressed with just how fast the rookie is able to play with the ball in his hands.
“Just how explosive he is,” Barlow said on Edgecombe. “Like, getting downhill. When he gets the ball on the outlet, or he gets the rebound, he pushes, like, he’s so dynamic in the open floor. So for myself, just talking to him, just telling him to be aggressive. Like, you see a gap, attack it. You’re that type of athlete. You’re that quick. You’re that good at the rim. You should punch the gap every time. The more aggressive he is, the better it’ll be for everybody.”
One has to believe Barlow will factor into Philadelphia’s rotation in some capacity. Most likely playing next to Embiid, and running the floor with the dynamic guards the team will employ on a nightly basis.