Called to everyone’s surprise by Brad Stevens during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami, Romeo Langford unfortunately could not last more than 81 seconds. Not because the Celtics rookie was not up to par. No, simply because the former Hoosier felt a new discomfort in his thigh.
And that’s a bit like the story of his NBA rookie campaign. Superstar in his native state of Indiana where he wore the colors of the local college (only one year in “one-and-done”) after being elected Mr. Basketball in 2018, Romeo Langford has not yet succeeded to seduce the difficult Boston audience.
It must be said that he was reduced to the bare minimum in the rotation of Brad Stevens. Like Vincent Poirier, Romeo Langford has spent his time in the G-League more often than in the NBA. Or on the bench …
“It’s hard to be in his position because he doesn’t play a lot of minutes, he goes down in G-League and he comes back. He has to be patient but when he got the opportunities I think he did a good job. He’s going to be a good player in this league, I really think so ”, Gordon Hayward hammers for Inside The Hall. “He’s got size and a great sense of the game, two things you can’t teach. He just has to keep working and improving, and I think he’s done that during the season. It’s already starting to pay off. “
Leaded by wounds
Forced to very limited minutes in the NBA, Romeo Langford has also experienced a lot of physical problems during the season. Landed after the Draft with an injury to the wrist and thumb, he was then the victim of knee injuries and two sprains to his right ankle. Plus the latter to the adductors in the playoffs and a surgical operation to repair his wrist for good… In short, not the ideal start for the ambitious rookie.
“When we drafted Romey, we knew he was not going to play in the summer league since he had just had his hand and thumb surgery”, recalls Danny Ainge to MassLive.com. “We knew there would be a small delay, but in the end, it was a tough year [par les blessures]. Having said that, he has shown some really very positive signs in short streak matches, but also in training and in the G-League. “
Despite his trickle-down playing time, Romeo Langford has indeed shown good things, especially in defense. It’s a bit of a paradox for this born scorer, who was averaging more than 16 points in the NCAA, but it’s damn positive for the Celtics who appreciated his aggressiveness on the opposing ball carrier.
Likewise, he seems to have well assimilated the rules of defensive help, very active on blocks in the second curtain thanks to his athletic qualities. This obviously remains perfectible as the young Romeo often gets lost on the opposite side of the ball and still has to progress on his precise knowledge of his opponents.
Promised to a bright future
But, like his fearless and flawless attacking game, including a career record of 16 points against Atlanta, Romeo Langford remains in the little papers of Danny Ainge and his staff. His versatility on both sides of the pitch makes him a player of the future alongside the Tatum – Brown duo.
“In any case, we think he has a very bright future”, resumes Danny Ainge. “We are not sure what his evolution will be in terms of the calendar but what is certain is that Romey is well in place in his program of physical work and motivated to come back strong next season. We will see how this offseason unfolds. We don’t know when our season will start again, so we’ll do our best to get him back as soon as possible and in the best possible condition. “
Fragile for his rookie season, Romeo Langford must still strengthen himself to be able to express his full potential. This is the normal process, which Jayson Tatum welcomes, him who is just emerging: “He does his job well”, adds the All-Star winger. “He works like crazy in training. He has already helped the team a lot in some games this season already, we are going to need him. “
Like many other talents before him, including Jimmy Butler in Chicago, Romeo Langford had a humiliating first season in the NBA. Do not see any insult in this: it has quite simply been put back in its place on the totem pole, namely at the bottom, accepting it in all humility. His rise in the next few years will be all the more beautiful …
| Romeo Langford | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Tirs | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | FOREST | 32 | 12 | 35.0 | 18.5 | 72.0 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.5 |
| Total | 32 | 12 | 35.0 | 18.5 | 72.0 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.5 | |
