Key analysis, highlights and stats from the Celtics’ 116-86 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Brian Scalabrine and Chris Forsberg discuss the performances of Robert Williams and Romeo Langford.
Romeo Langford finally made his long-awaited season debut in Sunday night's Boston Celtics victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
The 21-year-old C's guard returned after a bout with COVID-19, which he admits hit him "pretty hard." While he's still working on his conditioning, Langford used his limited time on the court to show what he's capable of at full strength.
In 12 minutes, Langford had three points, one rebound, an assist, a block, and a steal. He immediately provided the Celtics with a defensive boost off the bench.
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It's a small sample size, but it still gave C's fans something to be optimistic about as Boston looks to turn its season around. On a brand new Celtics Talk Podcast, Chris Forsberg and Amina Smith discussed the role a healthy Langford could have on the team this season.
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"I definitely think that Romeo Langford can impact winning," Smith said. "Just off of that small glimpse that I saw on Sunday night, I think there's certain things that you watch a game and you see flashes of potential. Romeo had that last night. ... I love a good defensive player and I love an aggressive player, somebody that plays with passion, and I think that Romeo Langford has that.
"That's what this team needs. I feel like we have a lot of 'good guys' on this Boston Celtics roster. ... I need players that are gonna be passionate, that are gonna leave it all out on the floor. For me, looking at Romeo Langford's highlights, I see that."
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Forsberg adds that Langford doesn't even need to contribute in the scoring column to make his presence felt.
"When he's out there, even if he's not scoring, he's still having a positive impact," Forsberg said. "That's all I'm looking for from Romeo. I'm not expecting him to come back from COVID and all of a sudden be playing 30 minutes a night and muscling his way into the starting lineup. ... I am bullish on what he can do. If he stays healthy, and that's always the big if, he can be one of the core eight or nine guys that Brad Stevens leans on in the postseason."
Also in the new episode: How optimistic should Celtics fans be? Bigger surprise: Evan Fournier or Romeo Langford? When the C's are fully healthy, what’s their ceiling? And can Marcus Smart embrace a role of facilitator and defensive anchor?
Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast on your favorite podcast app or watch it on YouTube below.
