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Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2019 11:58 pm
by Slartibartfast
sam_I_am wrote:
ZeroTolerance wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:The big problem for Romeo is if his deep jumper never improves. His one significant athletic weakness is a lack of explosiveness, which makes it harder for him to beat defenders who don't have to respect his deep J and harder to work without the ball. Without it he risks becoming a Marquis Daniels/Evan Turner type.


Like most here, I've yet to see him play...but I enjoyed your prospective comparisons and opinions...

I'd take an "Evan Turner" I guess, but we can all hope for much more....It will be fun to see his talents unwrapped and see just what we got....I was impressed with summer league and if Romeo Langford turns out to be the best of this year's bunch, it's going to be fun around here.....I really get the feeling that the rookies will all get minutes. and a couple of them will become key players...but I'm more the optimist than most here....So we will see what shakes out...


If the floor for a 14th pick is Marquis Daniels or Evan Turner....then he is going to be better than the other 19 #14 picks taken this century. His versatility and defensive potential gives him a chance to be a solid contributor even if his 3 point shot never materializes and his first step remains average. I can’t wait to see him in training camp because based on the quality of our other 3 picks and the fact that they rated him highest, I am optimistic we got a very good player.

As a bonus, he has been drafted into a situation like Jermaine O’Neal in Portland where he will be forced to develop if he ever hopes to get meaningful minutes. There will be no expectations but he will face fierce competition in practice for 2-3 years.


Hasn't been a great #14 since Drexler. It's time!

FWIW, I don't think Romeo is a project like JO was - he was the #1 scoring option, a lead playmaker and the primary defender for a Big 10 team. His role wasn't all that different in prominence from Carsen Edwards or Grant Williams. His team just really sucked.

Juwan Morgan was a beast in the middle (though hopelessly undersized against real bigs), but the drop off after him was gigantic. Justin Smith has pogo sticks for legs and a good motor but couldn't shoot, finish, or pass and really struggled to defend bigger guys. Al Durham could hit a wide open 3 and that was about it - way too small and weak on D and completely overmatched in the halfcourt. Rob Phinisee tried hard as a basic drive and dish PG but was again too small to create or defend consistently against higher end BIg 10 talent. Davonte Green and DeRon Davis had some talent off the bench but they were injured a bunch and even they were half-scrub.

If they'd had a real shooter or a real big (like Purdue had with Cline and Haarms) to keep teams from overloading on their main guys or exploiting them in the paint, they would have been so much better. But it was a 2-man team.

All that to say I think Romeo could be in a good spot to play a nice role with our 2nd unit. Shooting from Carsen, set-up guard play from Marcus, a dynamite screener/high post passer/shooting release in Grant and one of the various specimens of rebounding PNR lob beef (Poirier/RWIII/Theis)... that's a group tailor-made for a scoring wing. Whenever Brad goes to 5 man bench units I think Romeo would be in a great position to feast.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:21 am
by djFan71
Slartibartfast wrote:All that to say I think Romeo could be in a good spot to play a nice role with our 2nd unit. Shooting from Carsen, set-up guard play from Marcus, a dynamite screener/high post passer/shooting release in Grant and one of the various specimens of rebounding PNR lob beef (Poirier/RWIII/Theis)... that's a group tailor-made for a scoring wing. Whenever Brad goes to 5 man bench units I think Romeo would be in a great position to feast.

I wonder how much 5 man bench time we'll see on a consistent basis. Seems like you'll always have one of the Jays/Gordon out in the 3 spot at all times. Brown slides down a lot of the time to the 2, Tatum/Hayward up to the 4, but there's not a ton of need to not have at least one of them out there - esp to up their usage in non-overlap time.

Also, that bench lineup would be really small 1-4. I like it as you go thru each guy, but cumulatively, man, Carsen & Grant are short to start, then Romeo at 2 is great, but moved up to 3 is short.

I feel like it's going to be roughly an either/or scenario for Carsen/Romeo unless there are changes/injuries/etc. Everyone seems ready to gift the role to Edwards after SL and redshirt Langford, but I expect it to be a pretty good camp battle between the two. Then the other gets used just situationally. If Romeo wins the main role, then Edwards is your "smash glass in case of horrid shooting" option.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:02 am
by Slartibartfast
djFan71 wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:All that to say I think Romeo could be in a good spot to play a nice role with our 2nd unit. Shooting from Carsen, set-up guard play from Marcus, a dynamite screener/high post passer/shooting release in Grant and one of the various specimens of rebounding PNR lob beef (Poirier/RWIII/Theis)... that's a group tailor-made for a scoring wing. Whenever Brad goes to 5 man bench units I think Romeo would be in a great position to feast.

I wonder how much 5 man bench time we'll see on a consistent basis. Seems like you'll always have one of the Jays/Gordon out in the 3 spot at all times. Brown slides down a lot of the time to the 2, Tatum/Hayward up to the 4, but there's not a ton of need to not have at least one of them out there - esp to up their usage in non-overlap time.

Also, that bench lineup would be really small 1-4. I like it as you go thru each guy, but cumulatively, man, Carsen & Grant are short to start, then Romeo at 2 is great, but moved up to 3 is short.

I feel like it's going to be roughly an either/or scenario for Carsen/Romeo unless there are changes/injuries/etc. Everyone seems ready to gift the role to Edwards after SL and redshirt Langford, but I expect it to be a pretty good camp battle between the two. Then the other gets used just situationally. If Romeo wins the main role, then Edwards is your "smash glass in case of horrid shooting" option.



Regular season, even if they stagger Gordo and the Jays, you are looking at playing 10 guys every night - so it doesn't have to Romeo vs. Carsen, unless one of the end of bench vets is in the convo for 9th/10th man.

The top 6 (in terms of minutes) is pretty clear:
1. Kemba 2-4 Tatum/JB/Hayward 5. Smart 6. Kanter

7 will be the alternate center so one of Poirier/RWIII/Theis (and maybe even Grant) will always be penciled in there.

8 I think will go to a bigger forward so we're not always light at that spot so I'm betting on Grant there (maybe Theis, very slim chance for Semi).

9 I think is a battle between Carsen/Romeo (extra shooting/ball pressure vs. size/wing D/slashing) but I don't think it's zero sum. There's a 10th spot to fall to. A 10mpg role.

But whoever does fall will be fighting with veterans for the 10th. If Carsen wins the 9th spot, Romeo will be battling Semi. If Romeo wins, I think Carsen is battling Wanamaker.

As for the size, I just don't think Danny has given Brad too much in the way of functional big line-ups. No equivalent of Horford/KO to go big in the frontcourt. I think Grant is the closest thing to a skilled "big" we have.

On the wing, it could make sense to go bigger with Smart/Romeo/Semi and make Carsen an 11th man, but I think the skill loss is too big. The shooting with those 3 too sketchy to eat up all the back-up perimeter minutes.

I think skill will out. Carsen's got the long arms at PG and Romeo is actually about average for an SF in terms of wingspan and reach. Smart I think has established himself as playing pretty big for his size at 2 guard in most facets of the game.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 5:11 am
by djFan71
Slartibartfast wrote:
djFan71 wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:All that to say I think Romeo could be in a good spot to play a nice role with our 2nd unit. Shooting from Carsen, set-up guard play from Marcus, a dynamite screener/high post passer/shooting release in Grant and one of the various specimens of rebounding PNR lob beef (Poirier/RWIII/Theis)... that's a group tailor-made for a scoring wing. Whenever Brad goes to 5 man bench units I think Romeo would be in a great position to feast.

I wonder how much 5 man bench time we'll see on a consistent basis. Seems like you'll always have one of the Jays/Gordon out in the 3 spot at all times. Brown slides down a lot of the time to the 2, Tatum/Hayward up to the 4, but there's not a ton of need to not have at least one of them out there - esp to up their usage in non-overlap time.

Also, that bench lineup would be really small 1-4. I like it as you go thru each guy, but cumulatively, man, Carsen & Grant are short to start, then Romeo at 2 is great, but moved up to 3 is short.

I feel like it's going to be roughly an either/or scenario for Carsen/Romeo unless there are changes/injuries/etc. Everyone seems ready to gift the role to Edwards after SL and redshirt Langford, but I expect it to be a pretty good camp battle between the two. Then the other gets used just situationally. If Romeo wins the main role, then Edwards is your "smash glass in case of horrid shooting" option.



Regular season, even if they stagger Gordo and the Jays, you are looking at playing 10 guys every night - so it doesn't have to Romeo vs. Carsen, unless one of the end of bench vets is in the convo for 9th/10th man.

The top 6 (in terms of minutes) is pretty clear:
1. Kemba 2-4 Tatum/JB/Hayward 5. Smart 6. Kanter

7 will be the alternate center so one of Poirier/RWIII/Theis (and maybe even Grant) will always be penciled in there.

8 I think will go to a bigger forward so we're not always light at that spot so I'm betting on Grant there (maybe Theis, very slim chance for Semi).

9 I think is a battle between Carsen/Romeo (extra shooting/ball pressure vs. size/wing D/slashing) but I don't think it's zero sum. There's a 10th spot to fall to. A 10mpg role.

But whoever does fall will be fighting with veterans for the 10th. If Carsen wins the 9th spot, Romeo will be battling Semi. If Romeo wins, I think Carsen is battling Wanamaker.

As for the size, I just don't think Danny has given Brad too much in the way of functional big line-ups. No equivalent of Horford/KO to go big in the frontcourt. I think Grant is the closest thing to a skilled "big" we have.

On the wing, it could make sense to go bigger with Smart/Romeo/Semi and make Carsen an 11th man, but I think the skill loss is too big. The shooting with those 3 too sketchy to eat up all the back-up perimeter minutes.

I think skill will out. Carsen's got the long arms at PG and Romeo is actually about average for an SF in terms of wingspan and reach. Smart I think has established himself as playing pretty big for his size at 2 guard in most facets of the game.

You may be right on the skill winning out thing. Seems very Brad. My take is #7 is the one that’s not zero sum. I think Kanter plus 2 other bigs out of that group get some regular minutes (some at the 4, probably Theis) and only one of the rookie guards. But that’s probably more my preference than necessarily reality.

ETA: i think 7-9 are Theis, RW, GW. 10 is between Romeo and Carsen. 11 and 12 is the loser and Semi. Poirier maybe displaces one of the 7-9 guys.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 9:46 am
by cloverleaf
Slartibartfast wrote:
djFan71 wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:All that to say I think Romeo could be in a good spot to play a nice role with our 2nd unit. Shooting from Carsen, set-up guard play from Marcus, a dynamite screener/high post passer/shooting release in Grant and one of the various specimens of rebounding PNR lob beef (Poirier/RWIII/Theis)... that's a group tailor-made for a scoring wing. Whenever Brad goes to 5 man bench units I think Romeo would be in a great position to feast.

I wonder how much 5 man bench time we'll see on a consistent basis. Seems like you'll always have one of the Jays/Gordon out in the 3 spot at all times. Brown slides down a lot of the time to the 2, Tatum/Hayward up to the 4, but there's not a ton of need to not have at least one of them out there - esp to up their usage in non-overlap time.

Also, that bench lineup would be really small 1-4. I like it as you go thru each guy, but cumulatively, man, Carsen & Grant are short to start, then Romeo at 2 is great, but moved up to 3 is short.

I feel like it's going to be roughly an either/or scenario for Carsen/Romeo unless there are changes/injuries/etc. Everyone seems ready to gift the role to Edwards after SL and redshirt Langford, but I expect it to be a pretty good camp battle between the two. Then the other gets used just situationally. If Romeo wins the main role, then Edwards is your "smash glass in case of horrid shooting" option.



Regular season, even if they stagger Gordo and the Jays, you are looking at playing 10 guys every night - so it doesn't have to Romeo vs. Carsen, unless one of the end of bench vets is in the convo for 9th/10th man.

The top 6 (in terms of minutes) is pretty clear:
1. Kemba 2-4 Tatum/JB/Hayward 5. Smart 6. Kanter

7 will be the alternate center so one of Poirier/RWIII/Theis (and maybe even Grant) will always be penciled in there.

8 I think will go to a bigger forward so we're not always light at that spot so I'm betting on Grant there (maybe Theis, very slim chance for Semi).

9 I think is a battle between Carsen/Romeo (extra shooting/ball pressure vs. size/wing D/slashing) but I don't think it's zero sum. There's a 10th spot to fall to. A 10mpg role.

But whoever does fall will be fighting with veterans for the 10th. If Carsen wins the 9th spot, Romeo will be battling Semi. If Romeo wins, I think Carsen is battling Wanamaker.

As for the size, I just don't think Danny has given Brad too much in the way of functional big line-ups. No equivalent of Horford/KO to go big in the frontcourt. I think Grant is the closest thing to a skilled "big" we have.

On the wing, it could make sense to go bigger with Smart/Romeo/Semi and make Carsen an 11th man, but I think the skill loss is too big. The shooting with those 3 too sketchy to eat up all the back-up perimeter minutes.

I think skill will out. Carsen's got the long arms at PG and Romeo is actually about average for an SF in terms of wingspan and reach. Smart I think has established himself as playing pretty big for his size at 2 guard in most facets of the game.


I don't see the C's really playing Grant at center and I think Edwards has a chance for more minutes than you apparently think he'll get.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:13 pm
by cloverleaf
Slartibartfast wrote:
cloverleaf wrote:He continues to be the C's pick who worries me the most. I think I'm more confident in Tacko making it at this point than Langford.


What are your worries? As the resident Romeo apologist it's my job to bury your concerns in overwrought analysis.


First I think his defensive intensity and effectiveness needs a lot of work just for him to get any extended run. Edwards is more mature, seems smarter, is already willingly intensive there and can probably do well covering 1's when teamed with Smart. Then there is his shot and I think Edwards will again be well ahead of him in stretching the floor and scoring efficiency. Also questions re: Romeo's strength and speed at the next levels. He's got a lot of natural talent and I hope he can convert it. But he is young and it wouldn't surprise me if it takes him a couple of years to do so.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:44 pm
by Leprechaun18
I think Romeo will spend some early time in G-league, and if he dominates there he will get some chances in real games. If he plays well he will get more PT. RL has skills!

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 1:25 pm
by Homerclease
Leprechaun18 wrote:I think Romeo will spend some early time in G-league, and if he dominates there he will get some chances in real games. If he plays well he will get more PT. RL has skills!

He needs to be in the G league with the ball in his hands a lot. There’s already serious concerns about this pick IMO with a kid coming off injury who has to tape a ping pong paddle to his off hand to help him learn to shoot.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 1:39 pm
by cloverleaf
Homerclease wrote:
Leprechaun18 wrote:I think Romeo will spend some early time in G-league, and if he dominates there he will get some chances in real games. If he plays well he will get more PT. RL has skills!

He needs to be in the G league with the ball in his hands a lot. There’s already serious concerns about this pick IMO with a kid coming off injury who has to tape a ping pong paddle to his off hand to help him learn to shoot.


Succinctly put.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:40 pm
by 3D Chess
cloverleaf wrote:
Homerclease wrote:
Leprechaun18 wrote:I think Romeo will spend some early time in G-league, and if he dominates there he will get some chances in real games. If he plays well he will get more PT. RL has skills!

He needs to be in the G league with the ball in his hands a lot. There’s already serious concerns about this pick IMO with a kid coming off injury who has to tape a ping pong paddle to his off hand to help him learn to shoot.


Succinctly put.

Oh no, Steph Curry needs tennis balls and blindfolds to help him learn how to dribble. Career over.


Watch on YouTube

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 3:17 pm
by Dogen
Slartibartfast wrote:
djFan71 wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:All that to say I think Romeo could be in a good spot to play a nice role with our 2nd unit. Shooting from Carsen, set-up guard play from Marcus, a dynamite screener/high post passer/shooting release in Grant and one of the various specimens of rebounding PNR lob beef (Poirier/RWIII/Theis)... that's a group tailor-made for a scoring wing. Whenever Brad goes to 5 man bench units I think Romeo would be in a great position to feast.

I wonder how much 5 man bench time we'll see on a consistent basis. Seems like you'll always have one of the Jays/Gordon out in the 3 spot at all times. Brown slides down a lot of the time to the 2, Tatum/Hayward up to the 4, but there's not a ton of need to not have at least one of them out there - esp to up their usage in non-overlap time.

Also, that bench lineup would be really small 1-4. I like it as you go thru each guy, but cumulatively, man, Carsen & Grant are short to start, then Romeo at 2 is great, but moved up to 3 is short.

I feel like it's going to be roughly an either/or scenario for Carsen/Romeo unless there are changes/injuries/etc. Everyone seems ready to gift the role to Edwards after SL and redshirt Langford, but I expect it to be a pretty good camp battle between the two. Then the other gets used just situationally. If Romeo wins the main role, then Edwards is your "smash glass in case of horrid shooting" option.



Regular season, even if they stagger Gordo and the Jays, you are looking at playing 10 guys every night - so it doesn't have to Romeo vs. Carsen, unless one of the end of bench vets is in the convo for 9th/10th man.

The top 6 (in terms of minutes) is pretty clear:
1. Kemba 2-4 Tatum/JB/Hayward 5. Smart 6. Kanter

7 will be the alternate center so one of Poirier/RWIII/Theis (and maybe even Grant) will always be penciled in there.

8 I think will go to a bigger forward so we're not always light at that spot so I'm betting on Grant there (maybe Theis, very slim chance for Semi).

9 I think is a battle between Carsen/Romeo (extra shooting/ball pressure vs. size/wing D/slashing) but I don't think it's zero sum. There's a 10th spot to fall to. A 10mpg role.

But whoever does fall will be fighting with veterans for the 10th. If Carsen wins the 9th spot, Romeo will be battling Semi. If Romeo wins, I think Carsen is battling Wanamaker.

As for the size, I just don't think Danny has given Brad too much in the way of functional big line-ups. No equivalent of Horford/KO to go big in the frontcourt. I think Grant is the closest thing to a skilled "big" we have.

On the wing, it could make sense to go bigger with Smart/Romeo/Semi and make Carsen an 11th man, but I think the skill loss is too big. The shooting with those 3 too sketchy to eat up all the back-up perimeter minutes.

I think skill will out. Carsen's got the long arms at PG and Romeo is actually about average for an SF in terms of wingspan and reach. Smart I think has established himself as playing pretty big for his size at 2 guard in most facets of the game.


Maybe avg for a SF, but overall for a wing in Brad’s system 6’6 with 6’11” wingspan is quite good.

If the starters are Kemba, Kanter, Hayward and the Jays. I think a second unit of Arson, Cobra, Romeo and the Wills would have a good offense/defense balance, although maybe a bit green and undersized. Move Hayward to the second unit and startus Smartacus, and you’ve got an even better bench with the Wills, Hayward, Romeo and Carsen. Gordon could act as point forward for that group.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 3:34 pm
by Homerclease
3D Chess wrote:
cloverleaf wrote:
Homerclease wrote:He needs to be in the G league with the ball in his hands a lot. There’s already serious concerns about this pick IMO with a kid coming off injury who has to tape a ping pong paddle to his off hand to help him learn to shoot.


Succinctly put.

Oh no, Steph Curry needs tennis balls and blindfolds to help him learn how to dribble. Career over.


Who said his career was over? You’re comparing the Celtics 14th pick in the draft to one of the greatest if not the greatest shooter of all time, someone who was much more successful and accomplished even in College than Mr. Langford. Nobody is saying that Romeo is a lost cause, but there are certainly several red flags about this pick whether you like it or not. No need to be an A-hole about it either

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 3:47 pm
by 3D Chess
Homerclease wrote:
3D Chess wrote:
cloverleaf wrote:
Succinctly put.

Oh no, Steph Curry needs tennis balls and blindfolds to help him learn how to dribble. Career over.


Who said his career was over? You’re comparing the Celtics 14th pick in the draft to one of the greatest if not the greatest shooter of all time, someone who was much more successful and accomplished even in College than Mr. Langford. Nobody is saying that Romeo is a lost cause, but there are certainly several red flags about this pick whether you like it or not. No need to be an A-hole about it either

Clearly my point is that using props as a training tool is not a red flag, whether you like it or not.

His red flags are a poor shot, which they are actively working on fixing, and in the short term, his injury. He missed Summer League. Who gives a ****? He's a rookie, and pick 14 at that. He's not supposed to come into the season ready to contribute. The team knew all this before picking him, and picked him anyway. There are no 'serious concerns'. He will work out his issues, or he won't, like every single other prospect ever. Give him time, we have at least 4 years to figure out if he's worth keeping.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 3:52 pm
by Homerclease
3D Chess wrote:
Homerclease wrote:
3D Chess wrote:Oh no, Steph Curry needs tennis balls and blindfolds to help him learn how to dribble. Career over.


Who said his career was over? You’re comparing the Celtics 14th pick in the draft to one of the greatest if not the greatest shooter of all time, someone who was much more successful and accomplished even in College than Mr. Langford. Nobody is saying that Romeo is a lost cause, but there are certainly several red flags about this pick whether you like it or not. No need to be an A-hole about it either

Clearly my point is that using props as a training tool is not a red flag, whether you like it or not.

His red flags are a poor shot, which they are actively working on fixing, and in the short term, his injury. He missed Summer League. Who gives a ****? He's a rookie, and pick 14 at that. He's not supposed to come into the season ready to contribute. The team knew all this before picking him, and picked him anyway. There are no 'serious concerns'. He will work out his issues, or he won't, like every single other prospect ever. Give him time, we have at least 4 years to figure out if he's worth keeping.

Nobody is writing him off, be more sensitive about it why don’t you? People are expressing their causes for concern, not calling for him to go on a one way trip to China. Jeez.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 4:08 pm
by Slartibartfast
Homerclease wrote:
Leprechaun18 wrote:I think Romeo will spend some early time in G-league, and if he dominates there he will get some chances in real games. If he plays well he will get more PT. RL has skills!

He needs to be in the G league with the ball in his hands a lot. There’s already serious concerns about this pick IMO with a kid coming off injury who has to tape a ping pong paddle to his off hand to help him learn to shoot.


It sounds a lot worse than it is. They are trying to get rid of his thumb flick, which isn't even a shot-breaker as Kyrie and LMA both have/had one. It's a tweak, not a reconstruction.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 4:43 pm
by Homerclease
Slartibartfast wrote:
Homerclease wrote:
Leprechaun18 wrote:I think Romeo will spend some early time in G-league, and if he dominates there he will get some chances in real games. If he plays well he will get more PT. RL has skills!

He needs to be in the G league with the ball in his hands a lot. There’s already serious concerns about this pick IMO with a kid coming off injury who has to tape a ping pong paddle to his off hand to help him learn to shoot.


It sounds a lot worse than it is. They are trying to get rid of his thumb flick, which isn't even a shot-breaker as Kyrie and LMA both have/had one. It's a tweak, not a reconstruction.

Hope so, but a guard who can’t shoot and doesn’t defend well has a long uphill road to climb. At least Smart carved out a role for himself defensively right away while his shot came around. Edwards we know can straight up sling it. I’m hoping Langford proves us doubters wrong but I haven’t been as down on a Celtics pick as this one since Yabusele who just didn’t have the tools to succeed at the NBA level

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 5:05 pm
by Darth Celtic
3D Chess wrote:
Homerclease wrote:
3D Chess wrote:Oh no, Steph Curry needs tennis balls and blindfolds to help him learn how to dribble. Career over.


Who said his career was over? You’re comparing the Celtics 14th pick in the draft to one of the greatest if not the greatest shooter of all time, someone who was much more successful and accomplished even in College than Mr. Langford. Nobody is saying that Romeo is a lost cause, but there are certainly several red flags about this pick whether you like it or not. No need to be an A-hole about it either

Clearly my point is that using props as a training tool is not a red flag, whether you like it or not.

His red flags are a poor shot, which they are actively working on fixing, and in the short term, his injury. He missed Summer League. Who gives a ****? He's a rookie, and pick 14 at that. He's not supposed to come into the season ready to contribute. The team knew all this before picking him, and picked him anyway. There are no 'serious concerns'. He will work out his issues, or he won't, like every single other prospect ever. Give him time, we have at least 4 years to figure out if he's worth keeping.

Exactly. He was hurt in college, and had surgery after the season. Played through the injury. Injury was with the thumb and changed his form a bit. If none of that happened, he'd probably have been drafted 5-8 somewhere in the draft. This "prop" is more rehab from the injury than anything. NBA trainers don't always just used basketballs and hoops you know. Him using a paddle is either no news, or good news.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 5:13 pm
by Slartibartfast
cloverleaf wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:
cloverleaf wrote:He continues to be the C's pick who worries me the most. I think I'm more confident in Tacko making it at this point than Langford.


What are your worries? As the resident Romeo apologist it's my job to bury your concerns in overwrought analysis.


First I think his defensive intensity and effectiveness needs a lot of work just for him to get any extended run. Edwards is more mature, seems smarter, is already willingly intensive there and can probably do well covering 1's when teamed with Smart. Then there is his shot and I think Edwards will again be well ahead of him in stretching the floor and scoring efficiency. Also questions re: Romeo's strength and speed at the next levels. He's got a lot of natural talent and I hope he can convert it. But he is young and it wouldn't surprise me if it takes him a couple of years to do so.


Agree on the first, but isn't that true of all rookies? Jaylen didn't exactly take a huge leap in defensive awareness as a rookie and still got 8th man minutes for a playoff team. It helped that his competition was Gerald and Young, but if we play a ton of small ball, I think Romeo will be competing mainly against Semi and his fellow rooks.

Also agree on Edwards being more polished on both ends. He also has a more natural fit in the rotation as Smart is best playing off of an offensive threat in the backcourt.

But I wouldn't underestimate Romeo's polish. He's not that raw. Offensively, he has a lot of experience and aptitude as a PNR player already. His decision-making was sometimes poor, but not terribly so, and for the most part he made solid reads as a scorer and a passer. And he's not exclusively a PNR player even with his poor 3-point shot. He cuts well, attacks closeouts well, isos big men well and even sets pretty good screens. Most importantly, unlike a lot of high ranked high school guys, he's not selfish. He likes to score and can get tunnel vision when his number is called, but he moves the ball (and not just for assist opps).

Defensively, he still has a ton to learn and his feel for off-ball D is definitely underdeveloped. But he's not untested. He was tasked with guarding the best wing player for Indiana and grew considerably on defense after being clueless to start the year. He's very capable on ball against wings and he boxes out and rebounds in a crowd.

If it comes down to Carsen v. Romeo, I'd probably bet on Carsen for the reasons you shared, but there's a case for Romeo. Brad loves ball-pressure and deep-shooting, but he also loves big backcourts. Remember we used to go for extended stretches with Smart/ET in the backcourt. If Grant and Theis win the back-up big spots (which they might, as the only guys with theoretical shooting range) then Brad will probably want to go big.

Smart/Romeo + one of Tatum/Hayward/Brown + Grant/Theis could be a very Brad-friendly bench mob.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 5:29 pm
by cloverleaf
Slartibartfast wrote:
cloverleaf wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:
What are your worries? As the resident Romeo apologist it's my job to bury your concerns in overwrought analysis.


First I think his defensive intensity and effectiveness needs a lot of work just for him to get any extended run. Edwards is more mature, seems smarter, is already willingly intensive there and can probably do well covering 1's when teamed with Smart. Then there is his shot and I think Edwards will again be well ahead of him in stretching the floor and scoring efficiency. Also questions re: Romeo's strength and speed at the next levels. He's got a lot of natural talent and I hope he can convert it. But he is young and it wouldn't surprise me if it takes him a couple of years to do so.


Agree on the first, but isn't that true of all rookies? Jaylen didn't exactly take a huge leap in defensive awareness as a rookie and still got 8th man minutes for a playoff team. It helped that his competition was Gerald and Young, but if we play a ton of small ball, I think Romeo will be competing mainly against Semi and his fellow rooks.

Also agree on Edwards being more polished on both ends. He also has a more natural fit in the rotation as Smart is best playing off of an offensive threat in the backcourt.

But I wouldn't underestimate Romeo's polish. He's not that raw. Offensively, he has a lot of experience and aptitude as a PNR player already. His decision-making was sometimes poor, but not terribly so, and for the most part he made solid reads as a scorer and a passer. And he's not exclusively a PNR player even with his poor 3-point shot. He cuts well, attacks closeouts well, isos big men well and even sets pretty good screens. Most importantly, unlike a lot of high ranked high school guys, he's not selfish. He likes to score and can get tunnel vision when his number is called, but he moves the ball (and not just for assist opps).

Defensively, he still has a ton to learn and his feel for off-ball D is definitely underdeveloped. But he's not untested. He was tasked with guarding the best wing player for Indiana and grew considerably on defense after being clueless to start the year. He's very capable on ball against wings and he boxes out and rebounds in a crowd.

If it comes down to Carsen v. Romeo, I'd probably bet on Carsen for the reasons you shared, but there's a case for Romeo. Brad loves ball-pressure and deep-shooting, but he also loves big backcourts. Remember we used to go for extended stretches with Smart/ET in the backcourt. If Grant and Theis win the back-up big spots (which they might, as the only guys with theoretical shooting range) then Brad will probably want to go big.

Smart/Romeo + one of Tatum/Hayward/Brown + Grant/Theis could be a very Brad-friendly bench mob.


ET may be the best argument for Brad using Romeo this year--other of course than Romeo being not only the C's top pick, but Brad's Mr. Indiana, home-team pick. And surely he'll get his opportunity. If his shooting lags, I could see Brad giving him more of an on-ball distributor role paired with Smart off the ball.

But we'll see. I still think Carsen will be an irresistable scoring crutch for the bench, and with the crowd at the wing I don't see a lot of bench-time availability at the 3.

Re: Romeo Langford Thread

Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2019 5:46 pm
by Curmudgeon
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?
Will we ever see thee play, Romeo?