2019 NBA Mock Draft: No one in the lottery wants to lose
Romeo Langford. 8. player. 125. . G. Indiana
No one knows who the Hoosiers are. They have now swept the majestic Michigan State this season after a 63-62 win over the Spartans last weekend, but they’ve also suffered yucky defeats at the hands of far worse teams such as Rutgers and Northwestern. Big Ten competition is pesky, high-scoring and aggressive, but the Hoosiers should not be 15-14 with Langford and hotshot coach Archie Miller at the helm.
Unfortunately, Langford’s inconsistency is one of the key reasons Indiana has struggled. He has keyed incredible wins, like the Feb. 26 shocker over Wisconsin, but far too often his inability to take over games with the ball in his hands has limited Indiana. Miller plays him off ball far more than his skill level ought to warrant and it is a real concern going forward into his pro career.
Langford has posted just a 54.4 true shooting percentage — nothing spectacular — with just as many turnovers as assists and a humongous usage. The problem is he can’t consistently create for himself.
On the other hand, Langford knows how to use size as a mismatch in the backcourt. He is elite getting to the line, putting up 7.4 free throws per 40 minutes and posting elite block numbers for a guard. He is a solid defensive rebounder for his position and generally plays pretty hard.
In Atlanta, playing off Trae Young and John Collins in a bench role, you could see Langford succeeding. But teams wanting to give their offense over to him should think twice about Langford.