Goga Bitadze, Orlando's Unsung Understudy
Tracking every positive impact play Goga Bitadze has made in his 6 games as the fill-in Starter for the Orlando Magic in the 2024-25 NBA Season
Not every team has one starting-caliber center, let alone multiple.
One could make the case the Orlando Magic have five good options of depth at the center position, all of whom bring a little something different to the table, providing matchup and lineup versatility for the coaches.
Wendell Carter Jr. brings the most complete all-around option, the big who brings a little bit of everything as a sound screener who can pop, roll, rebound, and rotate, who always knows where to be on both ends of the floor to help his team succeed.
Mo Wagner and Jonathan Isaac have been reliable second unit big men going back to last season, where both fortified one of the best bench units by net rating. Wagner brings an offensive kick of energy who rolls to the rack with power and pops beyond the arc with ease, while Isaac puts a lid on the rim as the last player opposing bench players want to see lurking in the paint when they check into the game. Either has a case as being called the 5 in that lineup, even if Isaac prefers to be seen as the 4.
Paolo Banchero got reps as the 5-man playing Olympic ball under Steve Kerr in a Draymondish small-ball role in the past, which comes with pros and cons to the traditional big man roles both defensively and on the glass, but Paolo is more than capable to run the offense from the five as a strong, agile tough shotmaking scoring creator halfcourt hub and downhill bulldozer on rim-rolls and in transition.
And then, there’s Goga Bitadze.
If Wendell Carter Jr. is the team’s unsung hero, Bitadze is the unsung understudy.
Anytime Wendell misses time due to injury, which he did for a third of last season, Goga is the one who is called upon to step into the starting role.
Maybe the coaching staff wants to keep their second-unit bench killers in tact, to not disrupt the chemistry of what tends to be an advantage over other teams bench units.
Maybe the coaches trust Bitadze in the starting unit most due to his traditional big man skills like elite rim-protection and strong play-finishing next to Franz and/or Paolo, along with his connective passing as a skilled playmaker with good vision.
Whatever the reason may be, Goga has shown time and time again he’s not only a capable rotation big for Orlando, but a readymade starter who can go from not seeing the court one night to averaging 25 minutes per game the next.
Last Season
The Magic had a +3.86 Net Rating with Goga, Paolo, and Franz ON the court in 503 MIN together, with a 111.9 D-RTG, a rate far above league average (115.3) that would essentially be tied for the league-best with Boston. (111.6)
In 29 games as a Reserve in 2023-24, Goga played 6 MPG while averaging
2 PTS - 2 REB - 1 AST - 0.5 BLK and shooting 23/34 FG on 67% TS%
In 33 games as a Starter in 2023-24, Goga played 24 MPG averaging
8 PTS - 7 REB - 2 AST - 1.7 BLK and shooting 103/175 FG on 62% TS%
This Season
The Magic have a +6.9 Net Rating with Goga and Franz ON the court in 158 MIN, with an impressive 107.6 D-RTG despite opponents hitting 41% of their 3PA.
In 6 games as a Starter in 2024-25, Goga’s playing 26 MPG while averaging
11 PTS - 9 REB - 3 AST - 1.7 BLK and shooting 29/42 FG on 70% TS%
Bitadze brings 2 highly reliable attributes to the offense as a playmaking playfinisher:
Finishes strong at the rack on rim-rolls, short looks in the paint, tip-ins, putbacks, and running the floor in transition
Makes connector passes to off-ball movers, cutters, shooters, and handoffs along with lookahead passes to initiate fast breaks
Scoring at the rim is where Bitadze shines.
Bitadze is scoring 1.56 PPP overall at the rim and rates in the 94th percentile of all players, while also scoring 1.42 PPP on layups and rating in the 92nd percentile.
On Put Backs, Goga rates in the 77th percentile, scoring 1.35 PPP.
As the P&R Roll Man, Goga scores 1.15 PPP, rating in the 59th percentile.
Even on Cuts, Goga scores 1.17 PPP.
In terms of safe decision-making, Goga averages 1.8 Assists for every 1 Turnover.
Bitadze sees such a high scoring efficiency because he’s aware of his strengths and uses those to convert efficient shots: finishing at the rim and looking for open man
3 ways Goga Bitadze helps the Magic force turnovers, gets stops, and grab boards:
Protects the rim with blocks in elite help defense and strong low-post defense
Contests shots from closeouts on the perimeter to rotations to the rim
Outmuscles opponents for boxouts and boards in traffic on both ends of the floor
Orlando ranks 2nd in Defense again after finishing 2nd last season, via Cleaning The Glass, with a 106.5 D-RTG, trailing only the Thunder.
The Magic’s defense rates highly in all aspects other than fouling, ranking 9th in defensive shooting percentage, 6th at forcing turnovers, and 1st in defensive rebound percentage.
A big part of that reason has been the elbowing presence of Goga Bitadze in the middle, ready around the rim for tip-ins and snatching rebounds out of thin air.
Bitadze brings positive defensive impact and rebounding instincts on the tape and in the stat sheet.
The Pacers’ 18th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Bitadze never quite found his footing in Indiana.
With a new opportunity in Orlando, along with a new contract after finding his niche last season, Goga has found a role more suited for his skillset with the Magic.
Never underrate situation, team context, and the ability to develop through mistakes when evaluating young players, especially prospects with lottery-level talent.
A sound screener with good touch around the rim for soft tip-ins and strong slams, and heads up vision to kick out to offball movers and the open man, Goga provides a traditional rim-protecting rim-runner big man option for Orlando.
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