Boston Celtics: Where does Romeo Langford fit with this Cs team?

Fresh off of his injury-riddled rookie season, Boston Celtics forward Romeo Langford is still working his way back from a torn ligament in his right wrist, originally suffered in the playoffs.

With only 32 games under his belt throughout his young NBA career, it will be interesting to see how the former lottery pick fits in the expanded rotation.

The Cs selected Langford 14th overall during the 2019 draft for a variety of reasons, though mainly, the idea was he fits the role of a modern 3-and-D wing with intriguing athleticism.

With the team already set to build around the core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for years to come, Romeo was viewed as an ideal complementary piece off the bench when he was drafted.

In college, the biggest concern for the Indiana-product was his shot, only hitting 27.2 percent of his threes. However, shots from distance are more likely to improve once entering the NBA, and he certainly had no problem getting his attempts off from beyond the arc, putting up 3.9 per contest.

Additionally, Langford shot a respectable 72.2 percent from the free-throw line, a common indicator of shooting progression.

Romeo Langford may get left behind in the rotation for the Boston Celtics

In his first season in Celtic-green, the rookie showed signs of promise but spent most of his time on the end of the bench. The best aspect of his game was his defensive intensity, being able to hold up against opposing wings.

Standing at 6-4, he likely won’t be big enough to guard the best forwards, but he excels against smaller guards on the perimeter.

However, this mold is met similarly in the rotation already, held by the likes of Semi Ojeleye and Javonte Green. They are both solid defenders who don’t mess up on the offensive end. For Langford to become productive and more reliable than the other bench wings on the roster, he will have to provide offense.

Statistically speaking, Langford averaged only 2.5 points in 11.6 minutes per game. On the year, he shot 28-of-80 (35%) from the field and 5-of-27 (18.5%) from deep.

He held one of the lowest usage rates in the league at 10.6 percent, good for the 6th percentile of all wings in the league. Although those offensive numbers look horrible, the team was much better when he was on the court.

In 309 minutes, the Boston Celtics had a point differential of +7.8 with Langford on the floor. Most of their improved success was on the defensive end, allowing 5.8 fewer points per 100 possessions.

Therefore, although his counting stats were minuscule in his limited playing time, his impact on the team was impressive.

So, where will he fit in the 2020-2021 lineup?

The first step to his return is to focus on getting healthy and recovering from his wrist injury. It’ll be difficult for coach Brad Stevens to award the second-year player minutes immediately with Green and Ojeleye overperforming so far this season.

If he finds a way to get back soon, he will have much more of an opportunity with both Brown and Marcus Smart sidelined for the immediate future.

It’s also possible that Langford finds himself on another team by the trade deadline, as he’s one of the Boston Celtics’ most intriguing young assets. If Danny Ainge wants to improve his team for the playoff push, Romeo may be on the move in exchange for a seasoned veteran.

Hopefully, he impresses in his return to the court and lives up to his lottery pick potential.