2019 NBA Mock Draft: Getting familiar with the top of the 2019 class
Romeo Langford. 13. player. 64. . G. Indiana
Count me among the many who are tired of watching Reggie Jackson’s inefficient, inconsistent style within a roster that demands more out of the point guard spot than he can provide. Jackson hasn’t neared league-average 3-point shooting in two seasons, meaning he needs the ball in his hands and out of those of Blake Griffin or Andre Drummond to succeed. Detroit needs a playmaker who can choose his spots better and ideally cost considerably less than Jackson’s $35 million the next two seasons.
Langford could become that guy down the road even if he’s not right now. Just 337 miles from Detroit, the 19-year-old freshman is cooking for Indiana. His 2-point efficiency has been electric (61 percent) which has fueled his 21.3 points per 40 minutes average and 57.2 true shooting percentage despite making just 21 percent of his shots from distance. His quick-trigger release and handle project well for his NBA scoring potential, but the 3 ball development will be key.
For Detroit to sell themselves on Langford, they will also likely need to see growth in his playmaking during Indiana’s conference schedule. Langford has 34 assists compared with 29 turnovers on the season, a symptom of weak talent around him as Archie Miller rebuilds the Hoosiers’ program as well as poor decisions in traffic by the freshman himself. Because he will be 20 as an NBA rookie, Langford will need to steadily improve in his first college season to rise in the lottery.