2019 NBA Draft Grades: Celtics Select Romeo Langford With No. 14 Pick

In his sole season with the Hoosiers, Langford led the team with 16.5 points per game.

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The Boston Celtics selected Indiana guard Romeo Langford with the No. 14 pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

In his sole season with the Hoosiers, Langford led the team with 16.5 points per game to go with 5.4 rebounds in 32 appearances—all of which were starts—during a somewhat streaky freshman campaign. Langford's stat line led the Big Ten in freshman scoring. His best personal performance came against Illinois, when Langford dropped a career-high 28 points and added six boards, three assists and a steal in early January. He matched his 28-point high two games later against Maryland during a seven-game losing streak for Indiana.

The 6'6", 215-pound guard suffered a torn ligament in his thumb in late November but the extent of the injury wasn't revealed until the end of the season. Langford reportedly underwent surgery on the injured thumb prior to declaring for the draft.

SI NBA draft expert Jeremy Woo’s breakdown: There is some real reason for concern with Langford, who turned in an uneven season without showing much tangible progression. He played through a right hand injury for a large chunk of it, but he was not a particularly convincing jump shooter beforehand, and still rarely ever went left to compensate. Langford has an NBA body type and is a talented finisher around the rim, but plays a predictable offensive style and struggles changing speeds. If his three-point shot never comes around, he could end up on the fringes of the league sooner than anyone expects. He has not looked the part as a lottery pick, although that may still be where he ends up based on perceived upside and his pedigree as a highly rated high school scorer. 

Woo's Grade: C

Boston is taking a big gamble here with Langford, who comes with some real on-court concerns after a so-so year at Indiana. He was playing injured for much of the time, but there were teams who valued him lower than this, who didn’t buy in on him from a long-term perspective. It’s certainly possible he returns lottery value if he gets healthy and puts it together, but my own evaluation of Langford was much lower than this. Time will tell.