School: Indiana
Year: Freshman
Height/Weight: 6’6, 215 lbs.
Strengths:
Romeo Langford has a solid build for a 19 year old. As a college freshman, he’s already bigger than every top NBA shooting guard other than Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson. He uses that size to his advantage on the court.
Langford plays his best when attacking the rim. He has the quickness to get past defenders, the aggressive strides to attack the basket, and the size to absorb contact in the paint.
His near seven-foot wingspan even allows him to release his shot above or around forwards and centers.
What allows Langford to play so well in the lane is his court awareness. He’s quick to attack when centers are forced out of the paint and can find an open lane on the fly. His quickness also frequently draws a help defender. Langford does a great job finding the open man on the move and creating opportunities for his teammates.
Langford also plays great in transition. Whether he’s handling the ball or not he’s always one of the first guys in transition. With the basketball, Langford controls pace well and aggressively attacks the rim. Without it, he has the speed to get past the defense for an easy basket. He’s almost impossible to defend at full speed.
Finally, Langford creates extra opportunities for his own team. He’s a great offensive rebounder for a guard and attacks the glass when not accounted for. Defenses will always regret not boxing him out. Having a guard that can provide pressure on the offensive glass is an added bonus for any NBA roster.
Weaknesses:
Romeo Langford’s struggled in two extremely important shooting areas this season. He’s been very disappointing from the three-point and free-throw line. If Langford wants to start in the NBA, he needs to score at every level. His three-point and free-throw shooting have excellent potential, but not yet NBA ready. Part of his three-point shooting issue is he’s hesitant to shoot.
Langford’s also caught himself favoring to one side. He plays his best with his right hand and driving from the right side. With less space to work with in the NBA, he needs to become more comfortable using his left hand and driving from the left.
Even though Langford has expanded his offensive game, he’s not a primary playmaker. Langford’s struggled this season controlling pace in the half-court. His game revolves around himself and the ball moving. When they’re not, he’s not the best decision maker.
Future Outlook:
Romeo Langford is expected to forgo his sophomore season and enter his name into the 2019 NBA Draft. You can expect him to easily be selected within the top-12 picks in June’s draft.
In a guard dominant league, he will draw a ton of interest early in this draft. What makes Langford such an interesting prospect is he’s very versatile. He is one of many “position-less” prospects in this draft. Langford can score, rebound, make plays, and play multiple positions. His skill set bodes well for today’s NBA.
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