Getty Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers shoots the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Assembly Hall on January 14, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana.
Romeo Langford is in a tenuous position entering tonight’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn (7 p.m. EST, ESPN). The former 5-star turned in an uneven effort in his one season at Indiana, which could possibly see him fall near the bottom of the first round.
He looks fine on paper. He averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. However, he also was inefficient, shooting 27.2 percent from 3-point land. He also failed to shine on the bigger stages, as he scored just nine points in the Big Ten Tournament loss to Ohio State, and just nine two other times versus Michigan and Michigan State.
He possesses good size for a wing at 6-foot-6, 216 pounds, but the question going forward is whether or not he can combine his elite athleticism with consistent output.
Let’s take a look at he projects just before the draft.
Romeo Langford NBA Draft Projections & Mocks
In terms of mock drafts, our own Jonathan Adams has him going No. 15 to the Detroit Pistons.
SI.com’s Jeremy Woo has him going way lower at No. 22 to the Boston Celtics. He continues by offering the possibility that Langford will fall even further, possibly to the second round.
Langford played through injuries during the season and does have a strong long-term track record as a scorer, and he’s positioned as a buy-low opportunity for someone. It’s just that he has no true elite skill to sell right now. His jumper remains a big question, and he has to improve his game off the dribble, but there’s still a good chance he’s better than what he showed at Indiana. This would a low cost, substantial upside pick here.
Indy Star only has one other team that looks to be interested. The Orlando Magic could take him at No. 16 overall.
The Magic were among the teams most intensely interested in Langford over the course of last season, so seeing him paired with Orlando isn’t much of a surprise. That’s where CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish and NBADraft.net’s most recent projections slot him, with the Magic picking No. 16.
Romeo Langford Scouting Report & Best Fit
Thomas Beindit of BT Powerhouse states, for all of Langford’s inefficiency, that he is excellent driving to the basket and also provides a solid option on defense. Outside of spotty shooting, he also wonders if Langford’s health is up to snuff.
The first concern that comes to mind with Langford is his health. He missed plenty of playing time last season and some have reported that he played virtually the entire season with injuries. You have to get on the court to do damage in the NBA and that’s going to be Langford’s first challenge.
When Langford faced Michigan’s Charles Matthews last season, he ran into an athlete that could prevent him from driving the lane. In the NBA, the former Hoosier will run into similar, if not better obstacles. He absolutely needs to be hitting at least a third of his triples to keep defenses honest.
In terms of fit, he needs to play for a contender that allows him time to develop. Boston would be a solid choice due to the solid pieces (even after pending departures from Al Horford and Kyrie Irving). However, if he landed for a team like Toronto, he could work on his game for at least a year without being forced into action.
Otherwise, he might have to learn on the job for a lesser team. His lack of perimeter prowess could be severely exposed.