The San Antonio Spurs were the most anticipated watch at the Las Vegas Summer League and naturally became the Victor Wembanyama show. Between his exciting debut and stranger-than-fiction, welcome to America moment with Britney Spears, Wembanyama dominated headlines and drew every eyeball. Being the most highly-regarded NBA prospect since LeBron James, and being 7-foot-3, will tend to do that.
But bubbling beneath the surface for San Antonio was the development of an undrafted player who could go on to team up with Wembanyama in San Antonio's frontcourt this season.
The 1 undrafted Spurs' Summer League player who could make the 2023-24 roster is Dominick Barlow.
We may be cheating a bit here. With undrafted forward Julian Champagnie recently locked up on a new four-year deal, Barlow could be the next undrafted young player to join the Spurs roster. Barlow has a qualifying offer to return on a two-way deal, and San Antonio's front office likes his fit on the roster, according to Paul Garcia.
The Spurs could use some help at the 5-spot, and figuring out what type of player Wembanyama best pairs with is a huge priority for this season. Does he perform best next to a floor-spacing big like Zach Collins, or a dirty-work defender like Khem Birch?
Barlow leans more toward the latter, as he plays with infectious energy and has elite athleticism. There's a reason why he was the first Overtime Elite player to make the jump to the NBA, as there are a ton of raw physical traits for San Antonio's coaches to work with.
Playing in the NBA at 19 years old is never easy, but Barlow made the most of his opportunity last year, as head coach Gregg Popovich told BasketballNews.com.
“Everything he's doing now is just like a freebie. He's gonna get these minutes and he's gonna play and we're gonna get to take a look at him,” Popovich said. “But he's been one of the team favorites because of his personality and his sort of wildness on the court. ‘Cause he doesn't really know much yet. He's just got these athletic skills and he's like a whirling dervish, so to speak.”
Barlow put those skills on display at Summer League, averaging 17 points and over 8 rebounds in his four appearances.
Dominick Barlow put together a STRONG showing on Tuesday night! He posted 20 PTS on 9/15 shooting and grabbed 7 REB to help lead the @spurs to a win. 💥 #NBA2kSummerLeague pic.twitter.com/GxYNBNynz2
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 12, 2023
Dominick Barlow's rapid development thus far has been impressive. Getting those developmental reps under Popovich last season when the stakes were low should pay dividends moving forward.
Barlow also has a clear idea of what his job on the Spurs roster will be when his number is called again, as he told BasketballNews.com.
“Everybody wants to become a good offensive player, but I think defensively is the way to get out on the court,” Barlow said. “So just trying to read that and understand that certain guys can score. As long as you're keeping them in spots where they're uncomfortable and they have to make tough shots, you kinda sometimes have to limit that. So just trying to learn.
“Don't get too frustrated if a guy scores; you know you did what the scouting report says. You kinda just have to trust that sometimes. It's hard playing defense in the NBA. It's hard. There's so many different looks that you see, so you kinda have to just trust your coaches, trust yourself and just give effort. Effort, at the end of the day, will trump some of the other stuff.”
After an impressive 2023-24 Summer League performance where he regularly outworked his opponents, the Spurs should be excited to get Dominick Barlow back on the court once again this season.
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