An exploration of why Romeo Langford might be worth a look in the lottery for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2019 NBA Draft.
With the 2019 NBA Draft right around the corner (and its lottery even closer), the Atlanta Hawks, and all teams set to make choices in the lottery, are gearing up for the most important time of the year. Last year, the Atlanta Hawks made a wild trade with the Dallas Mavericks that sent Luka Doncic to the Mavs for Trae Young.
Though Hawks GM Travis Schlenk was eviscerated at the time for the move, it worked out well for both teams, so much so that both Doncic and Trae should be named co-Rookies of the Year at season’s end.
Before that, Schlenk made the selection of John Collins at 19th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, which has turned out spectacularly for the team, as the 21-year-old big man nearly averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in only his second season.
In the 2019 NBA Draft, there are a few variables about where the Atlanta Hawks can pick. First off, their own selection can be as high as 1st overall (please… please…) and as low as 7th. With the Mavs pick, it can be as high as 9th and as low as 13th. If the pick is higher than 9th, it means that the Mavs moved up and kept their pick.
Let’s assume, for the purposes of this piece, that the Mavs lost their pick – giving the Hawks two lottery selections. For one of those picks – probably the latter – the Atlanta Hawks should draft Romeo Langford out of Indiana.
Read on to explore a few reasons why.
Vital Stats & Upside
The first thing that must be explored with Langford is his relative lack of athleticism. Though he has terrific feel, Langford has immense trouble creating separation off the dribble against even the least athletic collegiate players.
While normally that would be a huge negative for a player taken in the lottery, Langford does have excellent size for a wing. With a 6-foot-6, 215-pound frame, Langford projects to be able to leverage his size advantage on both ends of the court.
Beyond that solid frame, Langford also has good length with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and 8-foot-8 standing reach. That is exactly the kind of length that should allow him to smother smaller guards and also guard up positionally against larger, longer players.
Combine all this with a player that will be 19.7 years old on draft day (along with an unteachable fluid athleticism) and you have the makings of a big-time player.
At his age and with his size and length, Langford projects to be an impact player on whatever team drafts him. Combine that with a legendary high school and AAU career, and you begin to see the full picture of what Langford can be.
Offense
In his lone season at Indiana, in which the Hoosiers did not particularly cover themselves in glory, Langford showcased many of the myriad skills that should be his bread-and-butter at the NBA level on offense.
Langford showed great touch around the rim with a nifty floater as well as the ability to get to the rim at will when he put his head down. However, Langford’s lack of burst and aforementioned limited athleticism made it hard for him to get separation.
Luckily, having defenders swarming all over him didn’t seem to dispel his ability to finish through contact, as his strong frame was able to absorb contact from defenders and finish through quite often.
With some flashy stepback jumpers and a fairly impressive handle, Langford can certainly look quite polished on defense – especially off the dribble. According to an episode of The Stepien NBA Draft Podcast, Langford hit 43 of his 99 field goal attempts off the dribble, which is pretty good for a freshman.
However, on 45 spot-up shot attempts, Langford is shooting an effective field goal percentage of 40 percent, which (to put it mildly) is less than ideal.
Langford’s jump shot, which looks a little janky and is extremely consistent in its mechanics, is his swing skill, but even if it doesn’t quite come around, Langford’s fluid athleticism and ability to capably run a pick-and-roll deserves a look from the Atlanta Hawks.
Defense
As already expressed earlier, Langford’s fluid athleticism and lack of burst might hamper him on the defensive side of the ball, but there are some solid signs for Langford after his sole season at Indiana.
With that excellent length (6-foot-6 height and 6-foot-11 wingspan), Langford projects to be able to capably defend threes and twos, with the ability to switch up and defend fours in a pinch.
Though quick-twitch guards might give him trouble at the point of attack, Langford has shown that he applies his length and strength quite well on defense – sliding his feet quite well, though his attention to detail and anticipation is slightly below-average.
A solid on-ball guy with decent help instincts, a more defined defensive role at the pro level might help Langford unlock some of his nascent defensive ability. Though the Atlanta Hawks were among the worst defensive teams in the NBA in 2018-19, thanks (or no thanks) in no small part to the presence of Trae Young, John Collins and Taurean Prince, Langford at least has the semblance of defensive skills, especially on-ball.
Though not a lockdown guy at this stage, Langford’s best defensive skill is one-on-one, where he can usually employ his sturdy frame, good length and quick feet to produce high-impact plays against his man.
The Atlanta Hawks need all the help they can get on defense, so taking a swing on Langford makes a lot of sense.
Fit on Atlanta Hawks
According to KenPom, four of Langford’s five player comparisons would seem to be good fits on the Atlanta Hawks (with varying success): Tobias Harris, Lance Stephenson, Miles Bridges and current Hawk DeAndre’ Bembry.
All those players bring different skills to the table, and it shows Langford’s versatility on both ends that he could have a comp for players with seemingly disparate skill sets. Though he lacks the innate athleticism of three of those players, Harris might be an extremely useful comp – especially when projecting Langford to be a member of the Atlanta Hawks.
Again, Langford’s jump shot is the most important thing here, but Bembry carved out a useful niche on the Atlanta Hawks during the 2018-19 season without a consistent one, so perhaps Langford could be drafted as a younger, higher-upside replacement for Bembry – who might be gone after next season.
A fluid athlete with good size, Langford certainly makes for a tantalizing player on this Atlanta Hawks team going forward.
Of course, much depends upon where the team’s first selection lands in the lottery. Though a recent ESPN mock draft by Jonathan Givony has the Hawks taking Langford #5 overall, it seems that either Jarrett Culver or De’Andre Hunter might be a better fit at that spot, which leaves the Mavs pick as the potential spot where the Hawks could draft Romeo.
No matter what, he’s got a cool name and cool hair, and carries himself with a steely demeanor that’s reminiscent of our beloved Ice Trae. Pairing Langford with Trae, JC, Kevin Huerter and whoever the Hawks take 5th overall would certainly be a fascinating young core for years to come.