Some very encouraging news in here, especially regarding his understanding of the NBA game, something many of us had concerns with last year. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/968215 Langhi enjoying new summer home Move to backcourt suits Rocket well By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle LONG BEACH, Calif. -- In a few days, the Rockets' summer-league team will leave California and head to Salt Lake City. Another half-dozen games to hone skills and maybe catch a coach's eye. At the same time, Dan Langhi will return to Houston. He hopes to get back to Utah in time to play every minute coaches Larry Smith and Jim Boylen will allow him. Normally, there is no way Langhi would give up the time and touches, but Tuesday he has to be in Houston to close on a house. It is what Langhi has done and will do when he returns to the Rockets that might make Houston a place he can call home. Last summer in Utah, Langhi flashed enough offensive skills -- 12.8-point average on 58.1-percent shooting -- to offer signs of promise. And in his first two games in the Los Angeles Summer Pro League this year, he has done even better, averaging 25 points on 18-of-37 shooting, averaging eight rebounds, and defending everyone from the Clippers' 6-foot-10 wonder Lamar Odom to the Warriors' 6-3 jackrabbit Gilbert Arenas. More than anything, the 6-11 player from Vanderbilt has become the Rockets' go-to scorer. "I've got kind of a different role this year," Langhi said. "I definitely feel more comfortable. I understand the NBA game more. I understand the spacing, I play more of an offensive role. I play more of a go-to role. I have kind of a different attitude. I look for my shot more. "I've gotten better, too. I worked hard all year. I was actually looking forward to the summer. That's where I get my minutes." He did not get many last season, averaging a little more than seven minutes a game, and most came in mop-up duty. Rockets coaches and players raved about his work in practices. But Langhi was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year the previous season, and practice-court glory doesn't cut it. "People don't realize, there's a lot of difference," Langhi said. "A guy whose role might be to be a banger used to score 20 points a game in college. It's amazing. The jump (from college to the NBA) is unbelievable, man. Everybody can play. "You can go to Westside and watch some pickup and see some guys that are really talented, and all of a sudden the pros come in and blow everybody off the court. A lot of it comes with experience. It is amazing. That's what makes it fun. It makes it competitive. It makes you push yourself to get better." Langhi, like many of the players with his limited NBA exposure, has treated the assorted phenoms and hopefuls that fill the summer-league teams as roughly and rudely as the NBA veterans who rule the Westside Tennis Club roost. Langhi's improvement might have come from all those practices spent chasing Cuttino Mobley and running the Rockets' offense. But he was able to regain his scorer's swagger in the two-a-day workouts with the NBA players who meet at Westside. "You get to play with a bunch of pros over there, Rashard (Lewis) and (James) Posey, a bunch of different guys, some in and some out of the league," Langhi said. "It helps to play with guys like that. They've been in the league, and they know what they're doing. I've gotten a lot of confidence doing that." The summer-league competition has brought with it a change of position, with Langhi moving to the backcourt. Assuming free agents Shandon Anderson and Moochie Norris re-sign, the Rockets would appear to be as deep in the backcourt as at forward, especially with the draft-day additions of Eddie Griffin and Terence Morris. "I like it," Langhi said of the move to the shooting guard. "I played it some last year. I go against Cat a lot. That was in a controlled situation. But the coaches knew I had the quickness playing that position. It turns out to be really good for me. They just want me to play as many positions as I can. The more positions you can play, the more valuable an asset you can be. "It's difficult, but I think I have the ability. I have something they don't have. I'm 6-10. They're 6-3, 6-4, 6-5. I can use my five to six inches on them. They have to shoot over me. Cat's told me that. He said to use my reach. He's quicker than anybody. He's unbelievable in his first step and can pull up on a dime. And he knows all the tricks. "It's definitely easier to penetrate past a 3, but I haven't had that much problem here. It just depends on the match-up. I'm just happy to be playing." Still, it has been an adjustment. Instead of getting the touches and the chances to create, Langhi has to try to fit in with a team filled with players who can beat defenders off the dribble and draw the defense. Langhi was always far more of a shooter off the dribble than a catch-and-shoot specialist, averaging 22.1 points per game as a senior in college. He scored in double figures only twice last season, finally getting consistent, if still limited, minutes in the last 10 days of the season. "I fell into a different situation," Langhi said. "Now I'm with proven scorers. That's something I have to learn. I have to learn to play off them. "That was a big adjustment for me. When you're used to being the go-to guy, you create for other people. Waiting for someone to create for you is very different. It's kind of hard. The more you touch the ball and the more minutes you get, the more in the flow of the game you are. In this situation, you've got to be ready. "The tough part of the NBA, you might come in and have a shot and it might be the first time you touched the ball." Langhi has not had that problem in two summer league games. The trick will be in bringing that game home with him, especially now that he has one. ------------------ Draftsource.net-- the premier source for draft info. Profiles, rankings, mock drafts, and more! The Mo Taylor Fan Site
Very encouraging news...I never really thought about Dan playing the 2. That would work out great since we are so jammed at SF...not to mention that the height advantage he has over other 2 guards. ------------------ Who needs teachers? I can learn my own self.
The Man Dan could not have a better practice foe than Mobes to help him with the transition. I fugure if he can keep up with Mobes then he should do okay. I am very excited about the additional possibilities this opens up. ------------------
Now all he needs is that 7 million a year contract from a good offseason, and he's set. ------------------ ZeColmeia on stealing: "I did not steal anything. Ive used some of clutchcity player profiles when I first created the draft profile page."
Imagine this roster, starters at the left: PG: Francis, Moochie, Colson SG: Mobley, Langhi, SA?, Walt? SF: Griffin or Langhi, Morris, Bull?, SA?, Walt? PF: Taylor, KT, Bull C: Dream, Cato, Collier dang, Langhi, Bull, SA, Walt, Francis can all play multiple positions. Langhi: SG, SF, maybe PF Bull: SF, PF, maybe C if we need it SA: SG, SF Walt: SF, played some SG in his first year with Houston Francis and Mobley: both can play SG and PG ------------------
If Lanky can hold Cat, I'm sold. I always knew he was a scorer, my questions were all about his D. ------------------
During one of the Golden State games from last season, Langhi played some significant minutes guarding Larry Hughes. Hughes is 6'5" without a solid outside shot. Langhi backed off of Hughes just enough that Hughes couldn't get by him and the height differential made it hard for Hughes to shoot over him. It worked pretty well. I have always felt he could play some 2, but will stop short of calling him a "Kobe killer". His height, reach, and jumping ability make him a tough matchup and going against Cuttino should keep him sharp! Langhi makes a good point about the major difference between a college "go to guy" with lots of touches versus coming of the bench cold in the NBA. Partly explains some of the air balls. But I think he'll learn. ------------------ Raef to Rocks in '01-'02! [This message has been edited by GATER (edited July 15, 2001).]
If Langhi plays 2, do we even need to resign Shandon? If we bring back SA, Moochie, Mo, Bullard and Dream, that leaves 14 on our roster (not counting Colson). We would have six SFs: SA, Walt, Bullard, Griffin, Langhi, and Morris. Do we even need SA? Also, resigning him would also reduce our cap space next summer by about $5 million. ------------------
I would trade SA for a seviceable big fella, nothing under 270lbs. I still believe that we lack size upfront even if we have Dream, Cato and Collier. We have to come out of this offseason feeling good about 1. our ability to matchup with the Lakers and 2. their inability to matchup with us. I think we have the Kobe angle with Griff, Langhi and Morris but not the Shaq angle, entirely. As of now, I do not believe they have our PG and SF angle. ------------------
Does this mean that T and CD have lost confidence in Langhi at Center? I can understand getting experience at other positions for team flexibility. But Langhi pulling time in the backcourt with Francis, Mobs, Moochie and SA if he stays is hard to swallow! Wonder if Sabonis is on his way here come 7/18? ------------------
When did they want him to play center? I guess against certain lineups and for brief stints he could play the position, but the guy is 6'10" - 6'11" and only about 220 lbs. He'd be broken in half. He could play PF or SF, and now I guess SG. ------------------ "I'll tell you this, the older I get, the less I trust people. It's true. It's damn true." -- gr8-1 going through some growing pains.
I don't think the Rockets ever drafted Langhi with the intention to play him at center. ------------------ its not the hours you put in your work that counts, it's the work you put in the hours - alaskansnowman
The Rockets never intended Langhi to play center. ------------------ It was the time of the preacher, in the year of '01 Now the preachin' is over, and the lessons begun . . .
Nice to see some intelligent analysis from the players own mouth. Hope he bcomes a swingman/majority 2 player. If he can keep up with the Cat, should fit in real nice ------------------ "Hakeem gets a 3 with the final shot" - my second favorite moment of 95 finals
Thanks Cat, After reading that article, you sure have to like Langhi's positive attitude! I know the other Rocket's players say he works and practices real hard. I'm confident in his potential as an NBA player (he has the quickness and hops to go along with the outside shot). If he can learn to play some back-up two guard, that would be a real feather in his cap. He could evolve into a versatile swingman scorer bringing us instant offense off-the-bench. ------------------
Listen up foo's -- keep Dan the Man at the 2 or 3 and let Griffen play the 3-4 if necessary, I will come out and play the five -- just so I can show these suckas some PAIN Late ------------------ "I find that the harder I work... the more luck I have" -- Thomas Jefferson "Weezie !!" -- George Jefferson
Mr. T, your signature would look better if you spelled the word legend correctly, there's no d in the word. I am pretty excited about the prospect of Langhi getting minutes at the 2 and 3 spots, the team will be able to go from a small lineup to a very big (height-wise) line-up. ------------------
