Detroit Pistons: 5 options for pick No. 15 in 2019 NBA Draft

Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /
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Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images /

1. Romeo Langford

Romeo Langford is not close to the best shooter in the class. However, what the dude can do is put the ball in the basket, especially in the half-court. During his lone season at Indiana, he finished in the 87th percentile in scoring at the rim in the half-court, and he was in the 90th percentile in the pick-and-roll. Operating in the half-court in the pick and roll with Griffin makes a ton of sense, especially if Griffin is able to sustain his 3-point shooting from last season.

A major thing that Langford has going for him is his youth. He’ll be just 19 and a half years old when he gets drafted, and he has a long time to develop his skills. He plays in a similar mold to San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, who had some of his best years under head coach Dwane Casey with the Toronto Raptors. Neither are particularly explosive athletes, but they work well in the mid-range and can get to the basket.

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Langford may never become a great shooter, and his lack of touch at the free throw line (just 72.2 percent) only further exemplified that. He’s able to get to the free throw line due to how frequently he drives to the rim, but he doesn’t have the raw tools that you’re looking for. At worst though, Langford can bring some scoring pop off the bench while pushing third-year guard Luke Kennard to step his game up after an up-and-down second season.