ROMEO LANGFORD

ROMEO LANGFORD 2019 NBA Draft Scouting Report

COLLEGE: INDIANA

HEIGHT: 6’6″

WEIGHT: 215 POUNDS

POSITION: SHOOTING GUARD

CLASS: FRESHMAN

PROJECTED DRAFT POSITION: LOTTERY PICK (HAS VERY GOOD CHANCE TO BE A TOP 7 PICK)

SCOUTING REPORT

STRENGTHS

Highly polished offensive game inside the paint; shows an advanced combination of footwork and scoring moves with both hands
Long arms (6-foot-10 wingspan) and solid vertical leap allows him to elevate his shot above defenders and pull down rebounds
Loves to go one-on-one with his defender and take him to the hole, understands how to set up his defender to get by him and/or draw fouls
Can shoot the three-point shot, and shows solid shooting mechanics to where the deep ball can be further developed

WEAKNESSES

Adequate-to-above-average athlete, but certainly not elite in this category
Much more of a downhill scorer, and not someone through whom you can run the offense
Doesn’t the have elite speed or an explosive first step to match his attacking playing style
Shows flashes of utilizing his length and footwork on defense, but effort tends to be spotty

ANALYSIS

A consensus top 10 recruit in the class of 2018, Romeo Langford had his choice to attend any college he wanted. The McDonald’s All-American made Indiana head coach Archie Miller one happy man when Langford decided to be a Hoosier. He Indiana’s most decorated recruit in years.

While many of today’s wing players like to fashion themselves as do-it-all offensive Swiss Army Knives, it’s very clear what Langford’s skill-set entails: put the ball through the hoop, and attack the rim as much as possible.

That’s why there are many people who are starting to mention someone like James Harden, as a comparison for the upside of Langford. While it might seem a bit hyperbolic to compare Langford to the reigning NBA MVP, it’s not totally baseless either. Langford’s ability to finish around the hoop in a myriad of ways at such a young age, and his proclivity to draw fouls is very similar to the skill-set of the NBA’s most famous bearded player.

Langford doesn’t have Harden’s explosive first step when attacking the hole, but does already have a feel for how to set up defenders to get by them. The other major difference is the consistent outside shot; Langford has the potential to make that a major part of his arsenal, but it’s just not fully developed as of yet. NBA veteran Khris Middleton might be a more accurate projection of Langford’s upside. Middleton has been a very solid NBA 2-way player.

The upcoming 2019 NBA Draft looks to be very top heavy with a lot of uncertainties. A player with Lanford’s talents and abilities might end up making him a better pro than college player. With his ability to score one-on-one and his overall traits, look for Romeo Langford to be a lottery pick at the very least.