Dominick Barlow proud to be Overtime Elite's NBA trailblazer with Spurs

In his 27th season as the head coach of one of the most prolificfranchises in pro sports, Gregg Popovich has seen a lot of talentcome through the San Antonio Spurs’ doors. But his first impressionof 19-year-old rookie Dominick Barlow before the season is onehe’ll not soon forget.

“I look at this guy, I say (to the Spurs staffers), 'Where'd youfind this guy? Was he a bag boy at HEB or was he working at the gasstation?'” Popovich recalled to Basketball News. “He looks like henever played basketball before. He's just this long, stick sortaguy. He looks almost uncoordinated in a way.

“I said, 'Who is this guy?' And they said, 'Just watch him, justwatch him. This guy is raw. It's a blank slate, but he's got reallyquick feet, he's long, he's eager (and) he's really smart.'”

Signed to a two-way contract on July 11, 2022, Barlow's procareer is in its infancy.

Considering there are players ahead of him in the Spurs'development pecking order, as well as more experienced individualswho are higher on the depth chart, the 6-foot-9, 221-pounder hasonly recently gotten the chance to get his feet wet at the NBAlevel. Now, having 10 games under his belt, he’s eligible to appearin the rest of the team’s 33 contests. Up until the trade deadline,he had played under 40 minutes across six total games.

San Antonio felt more comfortable with a gradual maturation viathe G League, where the undrafted two-way forward is averaging 12.4points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 26.3 minutes a night across32 games played with the Austin Spurs. Chop that down to thelast four contests — 25.8 points, 10.0rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals on .603/.571/.929 splits— and it helps explain why the big club called Barlow'snumber to see more.

Between Feb. 10-13, Barlow played 17.0 minutes a night overthree games on San Antonio’s lengthy road trip, includingsignificant stints in the fourth quarter. It was his first realexposure to the NBA level, and there are going to be moreopportunities coming his way.

“Everything he's doing now is just like a freebie. He's gonnaget these minutes and he's gonna play and we're gonna get to take alook at him,” Popovich said. “But he's been one of the teamfavorites because of his personality and his sort of wildness onthe court. 'Cause he doesn't really know much yet. He's just gotthese athletic skills and he's like a whirling dervish, so tospeak.”

“Just stay patient and stay with what I'm doing,” Barlow toldBasketball News when asked what he’s learned during his rookieseason. “Obviously, I think the organization is seeing something —some of the stuff that I'm doing often and allowing me to play somemore minutes when some guys are hurt, which I want to just keepproving myself and proving I can play at this level.”

Barlow understands what it’s going to take to keep him on thefloor at this stage of his career. It’s the simple things: Playinghard, running the floor, getting rebounds, finishing at the rimand, most importantly, locking in on defense.

“Everybody wants to become a good offensive player, but I thinkdefensively is the way to get out on the court," Barlow said. "Sojust trying to read that and understand that certain guys canscore. As long as you're keeping them in spots where they'reuncomfortable and they have to make tough shots, you kindasometimes have to limit that. So just trying to learn.

“Don't get too frustrated if a guy scores; you know you did whatthe scouting report says. You kinda just have to trust thatsometimes. It's hard playing defense in the NBA. It's hard. There'sso many different looks that you see, so you kinda have to justtrust your coaches, trust yourself and just give effort. Effort, atthe end of the day, will trump some of the other stuff.”