Hawks forward Dominick Barlow not letting new NBA money faze him, affect his play

A product of Overtime Elite in Atlantic Station, Barlow has started in three games for the Hawks. So, getting the nod to backup center Onyeka Okongwu didn’t faze him. He masterfully handled switches onto guard LaMelo Ball, not biting for the All-Star’s pump-fakes and forcing him to make the extra pass. If Ball still tried to drive on him for the layup, Barlow remained quick on his feet and stayed with him to the basket to force a missed shot.

“I like those challenges of guarding guards,” Barlow said. “And I think just understanding that they’re going to be aggressive, that’s just guard mentality when they switch on to a bigger dude they’re looking to go down and score. So just understanding that and being ready for the challenge. My feet are fast enough, I’m long and athletic enough to be able to stay in front. But just being disciplined, being solid, because, you know, they’re going try to get you on their back,

Barlow made Hornets backup center, Jusuf Nurkic’s life tough, holding him to two points, as well as forcing a turnover that got the Hawks out in transition.

The Hawks originally signed Barlow to a two-way contract in July, and he had a strong season with the team’s G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. But with a season-ending shoulder injury to Jalen Johnson and a lower leg injury forcing Larry Nance Jr. to miss an extended period of time, the Hawks needed the depth that Barlow could give.

Barlow knew that the change to his contract was on the horizon. He just didn’t know when the rest of the world would know.

“I was getting ready to play, like, a G League game,” Barlow said. “I checked my phone. I didn’t see (it myself), but I saw my friends in my group chat, text me, and I saw it. So I was like ‘Oh, OK, this is, this is public now.’ I didn’t really, like, I don’t really say anything (specifically) like that. I think it’s cooler that friends and family kind of see it on social media, and I can (kinda), surprise them, but if I tell them, it kind of like defeats the surprise a little bit. So it was definitely a cool moment.”

It’s his family and his future family that Barlow keeps at the forefront of his mind in his approach to handling his new contract. Since signing, Barlow hasn’t really looked too closely to see if those game paychecks look any different from what they did before.

It’s not that Barlow doesn’t check his bank statements at all. He just tries to avoid getting bogged down in the intricacies of the numbers, so he spends his money the same way he did before the pay increase.

Barlow did treat himself when he first got to the league. But he remembers the sacrifices and hard work that his mother and grandparents made. That’s helped him keep things in perspective, as well as a level head.

“My first big purchase in the NBA was my car,” Barlow said. “I got a Porsche Panamera. Then my mom’s car broke down. So I got her Chevy, whatever the Chevy is that she really wanted. So those are only two things. I’m really not big into spending money. I buy clothes. That’s really it. I’ll take a vacation with my friends, maybe once or twice a year. I still eat at Waffle House.

“I don’t know. I think just because, I’ve seen my mom and my grandparents, like, really work and struggle, you know, to make ends meet and obviously not a knock on them. They live successful lives, but I’ve seen them work extremely hard to make less money than I do. So I think I don’t want to mess that up.”

Not only does Barlow want to take care of the family he has now, but he also wants to be able to teach his future family the skills to have long-term financial security.

So with that new NBA contract and remaining mindful of that long-term financial health in mind, Barlow doesn’t often stray from his usual Waffle House order.

“All-Star Special,” Barlow said. “No egg, though, I replace it. I’ll do bacon, sausage, toast — it has to be grape jelly. If I’m really hungry, I’ll do like, another chocolate chip waffle on the side. But ... Waffle House, that’s honestly been my favorite part about being in the South.”