Reinforcements on the way, how much of a difference will they make?

[cman88]

So, all articles point to Marcus Smart and Romeo Langford coming back after the break. This should add a much needed talent boost to the bench

Marcus Smart will definitely have a huge impact. for all the hate he gets because of poor shot selection we missed him greatly. our lethargy with him out on defense/offense shows the impact he has had on the team on both sides of the floor and should be a welcome addition.

Romeo Langford is more of a question mark. He was a highly-touted prospect, but injuries so far have kept him off the court. Now that hes healthy, will he show why he was a highly touted prospect before his injury? or will he languish on the bench?

[Celtics2021]

Stevens had started to show confidence in Romeo by the end of the bubble, even playing him double digits minutes a couple times in the Philly series despite his injury, so I do think he’ll get a chance to see the court as part of the rotation once he’s back, probably at the expense of minutes to Semi and Grant.

Getting Marcus back will be huge — he’s such a good on-court communicator, particularly on defense, that it will elevate everyone’s performance.  The Marcus hustle plays will be great too, but I’m looking forward to the end of the turnstile defense we have a tendency to play when someone drives off a PnR.

[Donoghus]

Any additional depth is going to help the team.  From a minutes standpoint, if it helps keep Tatum & Brown more fresh, you have to be for it.   You pretty much know what you're gonna get with Smart but I have no idea what to expect from Romeo, although he was looking pretty good at the end of last season.

[Birdman]

Anyone would be an improvement on this bench

[GreenWarrior]

Ohh yeah romeo langford come save our season, then in 3 yrs. you can let us know where you're playing... If you're playing anywhere.

[Hoopvortex]

Stevens had started to show confidence in Romeo by the end of the bubble, even playing him double digits minutes a couple times in the Philly series despite his injury, so I do think he’ll get a chance to see the court as part of the rotation once he’s back, probably at the expense of minutes to Semi and Grant.

Grant and Semi play different roles than Romeo, so it's not likely that his minutes will come at the expense of theirs. You might have thought at the beginning of last season (I did) that Grant's minutes would come at the expense of Semi's, and yet they both got rotation minutes, and were even frequently on the floor together.

Of course Romeo will get his chance to get in the rotation but it's hard to be optimistic at this point. Getting more ball movement is an urgent matter right now, so we're likely to see a lot of Walker/Smart and Smart/Pritchard combinations; and the coaching staff have been getting developmental minutes for Nesmith. Add in Jaylen Brown, and it looks like a logjam for Langford to get through.

Romeo's real competition for a roster spot going forward is Nesmith. Romeo's a year ahead, but I'm betting on Nesmith.

All the gloom and doom in Celtics Nation right now is predictable. But I'd urge everyone to notice how much of the roster is young. You've got to be a pretty good talent evaluator to predict the future of half of this group.

[Phantom255x]

Romeo Langford at this point is an enigma. No clue what to expect. I guess we'll just see.

First order of business is hoping he could just play a few games in a row and not get hurt.

[Tr1boy]

Romeo Langford at this point is an enigma. No clue what to expect. I guess we'll just see.

First order of business is hoping he could just play a few games in a row and not get hurt.

Enigma only after half a season in the league???

[SparzWizard]

I thought reinforcements as in trades that I almost forgot about those two haha.

[Phantom255x]

Romeo Langford at this point is an enigma. No clue what to expect. I guess we'll just see.

First order of business is hoping he could just play a few games in a row and not get hurt.

Enigma only after half a season in the league???

I'm talking about it in terms of injuries and the expectations that are being put on him, both by fans and the media. I like him and think he's got potential. But can he stay healthy and be consistently available for us going forward. We'll see.

Even last year, he had a few good minutes in the playoffs then got hurt and was out the rest of it. Unfortunate.

[Irish Stew]

Defensively, I hope that Langford turns out to be the next Don Chaney, James Posey, or Bruce Bowen, but I have never seen a player who has done so little since high school get so much hype.

Marcus will obviously help defensively and with ball movement.

However, real reinforcements that can take us to beyond just a middle of the pack Eastern Conference playoff team to a possible contender have to come via the trade route.

[colincb]

Smart will help the defense and ball movement. Another mid-level player would help who can consistently get you 10+ ppg and play defense. T. Young and A. Gordon would fit the bill, but who knows who, if anyone we would want, will be available 2 weeks from now.

Romeo is a question mark until proven otherwise.

[cman88]

Defensively, I hope that Langford turns out to be the next Don Chaney, James Posey, or Bruce Bowen, but I have never seen a player who has done so little since high school get so much hype.

Marcus will obviously help defensively and with ball movement.

However, real reinforcements that can take us to beyond just a middle of the pack Eastern Conference playoff team to a possible contender have to come via the trade route.

well, I dont think anyone is saying or expecting Langford to save our season but he did look good in limited minutes last year and he was highly ranked before his injuries made him drop down the draft boards.

So, theres potential there. Just like we are now seeing the "potential" of Robert Williams. Although he honestly could do nothing and hurt again.

its a big question mark.

[gouki88]

Ohh yeah romeo langford come save our season, then in 3 yrs. you can let us know where you're playing... If you're playing anywhere.

Do you ever get tired of crapping all over Celtics?

[footey]

I'm glad this thread was started. Way too much negativity following our slump.  Recent 4 game win streak has cleared my head and restored my confidence in this team.

I believe that Smart and Langford will both add much needed depth in our lineup.  Langford projects as a 6th or 7th man, and Smart is a starter.   Guys like Semi and Grant will have a role they can handle better--back up help on the bench, rather than first guys up.

Langford when healthy will add real value.  Take a look at the game last season vs Hawks, where he had about 16 points, but was devastating on defense, blocking Hunter's shot at one point. He has got an NBA game. 

Even so, I think the Nets will be pretty tough to get by. I think they not only will win the East, but will win the championship. Only caveat is Durant health. 

I'm keen on targeting Harrison Barnes, but would rather wait until the off season, where I am hoping his price tag comes down. I don't want to give up Romeo, Nesmith, Pritchard, or Rob W.  I think all of those guys can have really good roles for us in the future.