NBA Draft Prospect Watch: Stock up, stock down

Stock Down: Romeo Langford, Indiana

The positives: Langford has actually looked pretty strong as a pick-and-roll ball-handler for Indiana so far. He’s averaging 17.7 points per game, and his touch and craft getting into the teeth of the defense have been impressive, given this was not a strength of his coming into the season. He’s very patient with the ball, and he’s made some good progress with his handle.

The negatives are more prominent though, and more concerning. Langford was a lethal catch-and-shoot option in high school, but that well has dried up for him to this point, as he has hit just 2-of-12 3-point attempts and a shocking 52.4 percent from the line. Langford lacks the strength to get to the rim consistently, so it’s going to be difficult for his scoring to translate if he doesn’t have the threat of an outside shot to fall back on.

Granted, it’s only three games, and there’s plenty of time for Langford’s shooting to stabilize. But those splits are very concerning given our prior understanding of his skill set. Langford should be in the conversation for the lottery, but it’s difficult to put him there if he isn’t making shots.