Brad Stevens: ‘The game comes really easy’ to Romeo Langford

https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/08/brad-stevens-the-game-comes-really-easy-to-romeo-langford/



Brad Stevens: ‘The game comes really easy’ to Romeo Langford






By: Quenton S. Albertie | 2 hours ago



Though he’s not received much fanfare to this point, partially due to his injury-related absence from the Las Vegas Summer League circuit and now the Boston Celtics’ preseason opener, rookie swingman Romeo Langford could very well have the highest ceiling of any of the players that the Celtics selected in the 2019 NBA Draft.

A draft class that includes notable young players like former Purdue Boilermakers point guard Carsen Williams and former Tennessee Volunteers forward Grant Williams, both consensus All-Americans in college.

Officially listed as 6-foot-4, Langford is a smooth scorer who can get shots off from all three levels thanks to his crafty ball-handling ability and athleticism. He has natural instincts with the ball in his hands and while it seems to make him look as if he’s playing without an ideal amount of energy and effort, he’s just so certain and decisive about how he’s going to get a move off that there’s little wasted energy from him.

Even while facing a heavy dose of double-teams while at Indiana University, the former Hoosiers star averaged 16.5 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field, which is quite impressive considering the amount of defensive pressure he faced and some of the tough teams that Indiana was slated to face in 2018-19, including the Louisville Cardinals and Michigan State Spartans.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has taken notice of Langford’s skill level, saying “he’s got touch… knows how to score the ball. He’s a good player.”

“The game comes really easy to him,” Stevens mused.


Chris Forsberg

@ChrisForsberg_
Brad Stevens on Romeo Langford:

"It’s funny, even when he’s playing open gym before the season, seemed to go in a little bit more when he was playing … He’s got touch, he knows how to score the ball. He’s a good player. The game comes really easy to him.”

292
10:48 AM - Oct 4, 2019


Langford’s youth hasn’t been lost on Stevens either and while the 19-year-old is literally the youngest player on the team this season, he’s also the most inexperienced after spending just one season in college before being drafted in the late lottery.

The teenager’s age may have something to do with his being soft-spoken, with him not yet possessing the assuredness of older players who become vocal leaders, like Williams. However, his combination of youth and inexperience has specifically shown on the court to Stevens.

That could be due to Langford’s relative lack of knowledge about certain actions and sets, as he seems to play more with instinct than an acute understanding of the game, as well as his understanding of situational basketball.


Tom Westerholm

@Tom_NBA
Brad Stevens on Romeo Langford: "Good player and the game comes really easy to him. You can tell, though, he’s a little bit younger, as far as all the experiences in Grant and Carsen and all those guys. But, (that’s) to be expected, he was only in college one year."

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10:50 AM - Oct 4, 2019


Nonetheless, a player with two-way potential, Langford’s ceiling is a point of excitement for the Celtics’ contingent.

His offensive prowess will only be heightened with his adjusted shooting form and, as he gains experience and improves his basketball IQ through coaching and film study, his willingness to be a passer and already-solid court vision will allow him to be a dependable facilitator. Particularly out of the pick-and-roll, where he can set up teammates with dribble-drives that lead to kick-outs or dump-off passes inside as defenses collapse to stop him from scoring.

Defensively, Langford’s athleticism is currently is best ability as he needs to improve his physicality and commitment to stopping his man on that end. He has the physical tools to be at least a dependable defender and is willing to guard multiple positions but, for him, his mentality on the defensive end needs to mimic that of guard Marcus Smart rather than center Enes Kanter.

Langford could have his preseason (and Celtics’) debut on Friday against the Orlando Magic, which would give him a solid test of his NBA ability as he matches up against the likes of shooting guard Evan Fournier, small forward Terrence Ross and point guard Markelle Fultz.

He’s likely to come off the bench alongside Edwards, Williams, Kanter and Smart but with swingman Jaylen Brown’s free agency looming, how he fares this upcoming season could have drastic effects on the roster, let alone the rotation.



bob
MY NOTE:  I was very impressed with Javonte Green's play vs Charlotte, I think it's safe to say we all were, but we should keep in mind Danny's #14 lottery pick hasn't even played yet before we start cutting players to make room for Green.  It's clear to me Danny and Brad think, correctly or not, they got lucky when Romeo dropped to #14.  He was projected to be in the 6-10 range with a healthy thumb.  When you consider the talent in the top 3 players or so of his draft being #8 wouldn't be too shabby.  If Romeo plays like a #8 then he is a steal at #14.  The catch is, he has to play and to play he has to stay healthy.  Staying healthy seems to be a problem with him.  The new, shoeless, measurements have Javonte Green listed as 6'4", 205# and Romeo Langford is listed as 6'4", 215#.  I don't know Green's wingspan but Romeo's is 6'11".  That's pretty frippin' good for a 6'4" player.  If Strus is redundant then so is Green.  The book on Strus is he's a sniper.  Is Green?  I don't know.  He took one outside shot on Sunday, a made 3, the rest were dunks.  I'm a big fan of dunks but you have to have range if you're a guard too.  We don't have great redundancy at SG/off-guard/big guard who can defend other big guards and shoot.  Smart can defend, obviously, but is not a long-range sniper.  Likewise with Jaylen but that's not his forte, he does other things very well.  Brad is not going to call Jaylen's number and tell him to go in and shoot lights out.  Edwards is a SG if the 'S' stands for 'Small'.  Romeo's shooting is a question mark.  Having a 6'4"+ shooting guard who can shoot is a good thing to have. Strus is 6'5", 216#.  Patience.



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If anything, get rid of wannamaker and give that spot to a hungry, young player.

Kj

Bob

Romeo is a young one and done guy with a jump shot that needs a lot of work.  He has several structural issues to correct.  I have never seen a guy with mechanical issues that turns into a reliable shooter overnight.  

Expectations should be realistic because it takes time and many many reps to fix a broken jump shot.

If he can defend at a reasonable level of proficiency and continue to iron out all the kinks in his shot we should be pleased.  In any event it may be next season before we see noticeable improvement in his shot.  

In a couple of weeks we will know who made the final roster including the 2-way deals.

By the way, Green and Strus are very different type of players despite their similar size/weight.  Green is an athletic (understatement) player who can defend and rebound and he is fast.  Strus can knock down shots from the perimeter.  He is 3 years younger than Green.   Either one on a two way deal works for me since neither is likely to see any meaningful court time this year.  I prefer Green because he looks like a more impactful player.  Max has not had many opportunities.