2024-25 Atlanta Hawks Season Grades: Dominick Barlow

Age: 21 years old

Role: Backup center

Stats: 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.5 blocks, 0.3 steals on 53.1/25.9/63.6 shooting splits (10.7 minutes per game)

Back in 2025-26: Yes

When the Hawks signed Dominick Barlow to a two-way contract, it was always a move intended to pay future dividends. They felt strongly enough about what they saw this season to upgrade his contract from a two-way into a multi-year deal. He has a $2.27 million dollar team option for next season and he'll be a restricted free agent in 2026-27. Therefore, all indications are that he will be back in the Hawks' center rotation next year.

Based on what he showed this year, was that a smart decision by the Hawks?

The answer is a bit complicated. With the highest USG% of his career, Barlow set a career-high in TS% (58%) and BLK% (3.9%) while also cutting down his TOV% to 3.9%. He consistently fought for rebounds and the flashes of being a force on the boards showed up in certain games. He had 13 points and 10 rebounds against the 76ers towards the end of the season and also had 15 points in the Hawks' season finale against the Magic. Furthermore, he did a solid job working off of Trae Young. In the 215 minutes he played with the star point guard, Young's numbers rose to 26.7 points on an excellent 60.2 TS%. Barlow's own numbers rose to a very solid 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds albeit on 59.4 TS% per Databallr. To be clear, that number requires a lot of context. Barlow frequently played in garbage time for the Hawks and it's still a very small sample size.

However, there's reason to believe that a 21 year-old center who has also dominated his G League competition has room to grow. The 6-10 forward appeared in 18 games (all starts) with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League this season, averaging 20.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocks in 32.5 minutes (.574 FG%, .729 FT%). In his Skyhawks debut on Nov. 8, Barlow posted 23 points, eight rebounds, one assist and five blocks. His five rejections marked the most by a Skyhawk in his College Park debut.

That being said, Barlow is nowhere near the defender he needs to be at this stage. They gave him minutes because Larry Nance Jr and Clint Capela were both unavailable down the stretch and both of those guys are much more reliable as rim protectors and defensive anchors. His defense was a weak point in his game coming into the season, but he frankly looked overmatched in most of his time on the court. There were flashes of being a switchable defender against teams like the Hornets, but he still needs to work on being more consistent in that area. Fortunately, he is only 21 years old and there's reason to believe he can improve with more time in Atlanta's system.

With the rise of Onyeka Okongwu into the starting lineup, the backup center role is going to be a priority for Atlanta to address this offseason. Barlow shouldn't be the only resource they allocate towards that spot. Drafting a center in the first or second round of the 2025 NBA Draft or signing back either Nance or Capela are on the table for the Hawks. Sliding him back into a smaller role should pay dividends for his overall effectiveness and it's possible that he becomes a legitimate rotation big man next season.

The Hawks have made a concerted effort to get younger and more athletic in recent transaction cycles. Barlow is a part of that overall philosophy and Atlanta has very little to lose by giving him a chance to develop.

Overall Grade: C

Additional Links

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