Romeo Langford is entering the draft after a freshman season plagued by injury. So what makes him such a great option for the Miami Heat?
Romeo Langford is a 19-year-old 6’6″ shooting guard out of Indiana University. He enters the draft after leading the Hoosiers last season with 19.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game — all with a torn ligament in his thumb on his shooting hand that he suffered early in the season. He may be a draft option for the Miami Heat.
Langford averaged 22 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, two steals and 1.5 blocks in his six games prior to the injury, according to the Indy Star. He was supposed to have surgery, but instead opted to play the rest of the season.
Due to the injury, we are unable to know what Langford could really be at his true shooting potential. What we do know is that even with the injury, he shot 44.8 percent from the field and contributed to an Indiana team that continued to rely on him throughout the season.
Langford’s fit with the Heat
If there is anything the Heat need right now (besides more cap space), it is a wing scorer. Lucky for the Heat, this is exactly what Langford made a name for himself on coming out of high school.
Langford never found his long-range stride in college, shooting just 27.3 percent from behind the arc. Langford has such a small sample size while healthy in college that it is important to note he shot 35 percent from 3-point range in high school.
If that says anything compared to his freshman season at Indiana, it’s that he has a lot of room for growth and according to the Miami Herald, he knows it.
"“That’s just the confidence I have in myself and of the things I’m capable of doing,” Langford said. “I know I can shoot the ball. I know I didn’t shoot it well last year, but I know how well I still can be able to shoot, and be that next level.”"
On the defensive end, Langford has some advantages with a 6’11” wingspan, but could still use some sharpening to become a better and quicker two-way player.
Projected availability
Mock drafts right now have Langford anywhere from a lottery pick to farther down than the Heat’s No. 13 pick. Here are some of the most popular mock draft listings for Langford as of May 31:
- CBS: No. 9, Washington Wizards
- ESPN: No. 14, Boston Celtics (via Sacramento Kings)
- The Ringer: No. 15, Detroit Pistons
- Bleacher Report: No. 13, Orlando Magic
While there is a range, it looks like the possibility of Langford being available when the Heat’s time comes to pick is high. With the draft still three weeks away, that can certainly change. However if he is still available, the Miami Heat should give him a chance.
Getting the Heat above mediocrity
The Heat are moving towards more focus on young players Bam Adebayo, Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow. While all three of these players have room for growth, the Heat are still lacking a reliable scorer. If Langford is able to reach full health and work with the player development team, there is promise that he could become that kind of player for the Heat.
ESPN’s mock draft points this out:
"“Offensive instincts and overall upside suggest he can develop into a player capable of shouldering a significant load as a shot-creator, which is difficult to find in this draft class, especially at his size.”"
The bottom line: Langford has the ceiling to be a productive two-way ball handler that can contribute significant minutes. That might be asking for a lot from a rookie, but the Heat need to get out of the barely-missing-or-making-playoffs mediocrity.
Drafting Langford and developing him with the young core that the Miami Heat already have could be the beginning of that.