Hi, Subscriber

Joe Mazzulla Issues Statement on Romeo Langford Ahead of Playing Spurs

  • 150 Shares
  • Updated
Romeo Langford, Formerly Of The Boston Celtics

Getty Romeo Langford, Formerly Of The Boston Celtics

Romeo Langford’s Boston Celtics career never really got off the ground, primarily due to his inability to stay healthy throughout a season.

As such, Langford found himself packaged alongside Josh Richardson in the Celtics’ deal to acquire Derrick White in February 2022 and has since begun to show flashes of the potential that saw him drafted 14th overall in 2019.

When speaking to the media ahead of the Celtics’ March 25 contest against the San Antonio Spurs, Joe Mazzulla spoke of what he’s seen from Langford this season, crediting his defensive ability.

“I think he’s gotten better, especially on the defensive end, I mean, he’s a really, really solid defender,” Mazzulla said. “And the first game against him, I thought he played really well in attacking and just have to be able to handle it.”
Langford has participated in 37 games this season, just seven more than Robert Williams, and is averaging 7.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 47.8% from the field and 26.9% from deep. The 23-year-old will now be hoping that he has shown enough to remain in the league when he hits restricted free agency at the end of the current season.

Mazzulla Discusses Derrick White’s Improvements

During the same press conference, Mazzulla spoke about the continued growth of Derrick White’s game as he approaches 100 appearances for the Celtics and is currently viewed by most fans as the team’s third-best player.

“Yeah, well, I think he’s a great teammate,” Mazzulla said. “I think he just brings a level of humility and competitiveness. And I think he’s gotten more and more comfortable with just playing his game. And so being aggressive off of pick-and-rolls, taking open shots, driving, and I just love what he brings to us defensively as well.”

White has been an ever-present for the Celtics this season, appearing in all 74 of their games while producing at an impressive rate with averages of 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 46.1% shooting from the field and 38.2% shooting from deep.

Jayson Tatum Heaps Praise on Derrick White

Following the Celtics’ March 24 victory over the Indiana Pacers, Jayson Tatum was full of praise for White and what he’s been doing for the Celtics in recent months as he addressed the media as part of his post-game press conference.

“Yeah, you know, D White is like the ultimate teammate,” Tatum said. “And he’s a hell of a basketball player…Can create, can pass, can shoot. And, you know, can be too unselfish sometimes. So just, you know, encouraging him to be aggressive, to be himself, just makes us a much better team.”

The Celtics now have eight games remaining of the regular season, with their next game scheduled to occur on March 26 against the Spurs, before games against the Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, and Utah Jazz within the space of a week.
Celtics fans will be hoping that Boston can secure at least three wins in their next four games as they look to keep pace with the Bucks, who occupy the first seed in the Eastern Conference, while also keeping the Philadelphia 76ers at arm’s length.

Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor

Read More
, , ,