Romeo Langford made his long-awaited return to the Boston Celtics on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets.
And the second-year guard, who missed the first 49 games of the 2021 season due to off-season wrist surgery and a positive COVID-19 test, did very well in his first game back.
“Yes, he was fine,” said coach Brad Stevens in a video conference after the Celtics’ 116-86 victory over Hornets. “Solid. Obviously, it was good to have him back on the ground and, after he took the ball off the field at the first reception, I thought he did a lot of good things.”
Kemba Walker added: “It was great to have him. Romeo is a really important piece of what we want to do. … I’m excited for him, excited for his opportunity because he got so much better ”.
Langford played 12 minutes off the bench. He came in with two minutes left in the first quarter and made a handful of contributions at the start, including a good edge block at Charlotte’s Miles Bridges and a 3-point basket to start the Boston score in the second quarter.
“It was good to go back there, put my legs under me and compete with my teammates,” said Langford in a post-game videoconference. “I had 12 minutes, it was good. I was not too tired. I was not exhausted. So, it was good. “
Langford’s defensive versatility was also exhibited for most of those 12 minutes. It is one of the most prominent aspects that he believes to bring to the table.
“I think he’s just one less guy that our team needs to worry about,” said Langford. “I feel like I’m the best at isolated things and not letting my guy pass me by. That said, it means the team doesn’t need to help so much and give up three more when it comes to the guy I’m checking out. “
The first round of the Celtics in 2019 also expressed the impact that COVID-19 had on him. Langford was due to return after the NBA All-Star break before being placed in league protocols on March 10.
“It was really bad for when I had the symptoms,” said Langford. “I had the symptoms for about four or five days and it hit me a lot. I felt that I had a very bad flu and ended up losing my taste and smell. I still can’t really smell much. So, I really couldn’t do anything for two and a half weeks. So, my main thing when I came back was just catching my breath and feeling the game, feeling the ball and things like that. “
Stevens noted before the game that he had no expectations for Langford for the next two weeks. The plan, Stevens explained, is to help Langford get back into shape, which in turn will take longer minutes.
Langford and the Celtics will return to TD Garden on Tuesday to host the Philadelphia 76ers.
Miniature photo via Jerome Miron / USA TODAY Sports Images