Boston Celtics: assessing Romeo Langford’s fit heading into the 2019-20 season

The NBA and how it values prospects has evolved over the last decade. With change comes growth, and in order to grow the Boston Celtics have followed some modern trends. In June’s draft, the franchise opted to add another talented wing to their roster, thanks in large to his sky-high potential.

Boston Celtics’ rookie Romeo Langford is both raw and dazzling all at once. However, similar to many late lottery picks, it’s hard to pin down the kind of player he can be. The promising swingman played his freshman year at Indiana University and did his best to lead the Hoosiers through an up and down season in the Big Ten.

As a strong shooting guard with excellent length (6-6 with a 6’10.5” wingspan), he flashed the potential and tools necessary to succeed in the NBA. His scoring at the rim and ability to attack the paint were impressive, as was his on-ball defense.

Still, despite these areas of expertise, there are still many questions surrounding the rookie wing.

Question 1: Can he develop a mid & long range game?

Langford’s jumper never caught up with the rest of his game during his one season in college. This wasn’t made any easier by the torn ligament he suffered in his shooting hand only six games into the season. The injury would have caused most players to sit out the remainder of the season and preserve their draft stock. Instead, Langford gutted it out and finished the season as best as he could. This is a trait that Bostonians will appreciate.

Despite his ailment, the 19-year-old did manage to finish the season scoring the ball at quite a high level (17 points per game). However, his shooting numbers left room for improvement (45% from the field and 27% from deep). This caused him to gain a reputation as a low-efficiency scorer, which seems unfair when taking all information into account.

Langford’s jumper is not broken. His release has a small hitch and his guide hand influences his shot too much. The low shooting percentages can also be attributed to the shaky team offense at Indiana and his thumb injury, but there are still reasonable concerns about his ability to shoot from deep. He didn’t come out of high school with a reputation as a lights out shooter, but keep in mind, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both significantly improved on their college three-point percentages during their first season with the Boston Celtics coaching staff.

I’m of the opinion that Langford will be a competent shooter if he tunes up his jumper, which it appears he already is.

Question 2: How will he fair on defense at the professional level?

Langford was, at times, unaware on the defensive side of the ball. He showed improvement as the season went on, and his quickness/strength allowed him to stay in front of his man for the most part.

His size means that he’s perfect for switching on screens at the NBA level. Also, if there’s one thing Brad Stevens can unlock, it’s defensive ability. With length that puts his reach just below Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson, Langford could present a major problem to opposing offenses in passing lanes and help defense if he’s coached up in this regard.

Question 3: Where does he play?

The biggest criticism of this draft pick was that Langford filled a nonexistent need, as they already have Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward vying for minutes at the same positions the rookie would presumably play. This is a reasonable concern.

The good news is that after losing Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier, Al Horford and Marcus Morris this off-season the Boston Celtics may find themselves oft sporting wing-heavy lineups.

These adjustments will open up time at the shooting guard and small forward spots in certain lineups. This represents an opportunity for Langford.

Redundancy concerns should be put to rest once Langford is able to showcase his game. Outside of Kemba Walker and Tatum, the Boston Celtics have nobody on their roster that gets to the rim like Langford can. His ball handling and scoring instinct are superior to Jaylen Brown’s, his length allows him to contribute in ways that smaller guards simply can’t and he has proven to be  a capable passer.

From a business standpoint it made sense to select Langford. Brown’s future with Boston is tenuous at best and Danny Ainge has never been one to forego a backup plan. In developing Langford, the Celtics would be purchasing Jaylen Brown insurance and creating a situation where their salary cap could be used on another position of need during the 2020 offseason.

The major caveat is that Langford’s development and ability to contribute right away will be hampered by his absence during Summer League and his recently healed thumb injury.

I guess the bigger question one could ask is not where, but when Langford will start to contribute? It’s reasonable to expect limited minutes at first while Stevens works Langford into the flow of things.

If the Celtics wish to compete with the upper echelon of the improved Eastern Conference, Langford must be incorporated as a functional and developing member of the Celtics rotation by season’s end. If not, Danny Ainge risks adding to his list of draft disappointments.