Goga Bitadze discusses his season and Indiana Pacers growth
Goga Bitadze just played his 164th career game on Wednesday, meaning he has officially reached two full NBA seasons of appearances. He's been just outside of the Indiana Pacers rotation for much of his career, but in the last two seasons, there have been more opportunities for the former 18th overall pick.
This year, Bitadze has shown some clear refinements to his game while still struggling with some of the same issues he has throughout his career. At his best, he looks strong. Without him, Indiana loses to Detroit early in the campaign. He had 14 points and 15 assists that night, and his defense was impressive.
At his worst, Bitadze looks out of place and inconsistent. It can be difficult to maintain a strong impact without regular minutes, and the young big man has played sparingly this season — after appearing in seven of the Pacers first eight games, he has only played in eight of the 17 since. Bitadze is outside of the center rotation, and that's the correct choice for the blue and gold, but that can make it harder to have an impact. It's clear that the Georgian center was better earlier in the campaign when he was playing in every game.
"I don't get a whole lot of playing time right now. I've just got to stay patient, stay ready, do great in practices. Get better with the guys," Bitadze told AllPacers in late November. Ironically, he played over 15 minutes that night and filled up the stat sheet, finishing with four points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and three blocks. Indiana outscored Minnesota by one with the bruising big man in the game.
"I think I know the game, how we play it, and what we're trying to do. I'm pretty comfortable out there," he added. The stats mostly agree, as Bitadze is putting up career-best numbers in shooting accuracy, offensive rebounds per minute, assists per minute, and blocks per minute. He struggles to give the same level of play on a nightly basis, though, and that has cost him opportunities. But when he plays consistently, he's shown improvement.
That said, his defensive rebound rate has taken a dive this year, as has his scoring output. That said, he looks at the rim less often and doesn't actually attempt as many shots. The drop in scoring is not a bad thing on it's own.
The utility of Bitadze recently has been his toughness. Head coach Rick Carlisle has turned to the four-year pro when Indiana looks gentle on the court, and that led to minutes against the Clipper, Lakers, and Timberwolves on the Pacers recent road trip.
When in the game, Bitadze has helped Indiana's second unit maintain roughly the same offensive and defensive ratings that the team has when he's not in the game. That defense, in particular, is needed as the blue and gold started off the season with some major struggles on that end of the floor.
As the campaign has progressed, the Pacers have improved defensively. And Bitadze, the team's second-longest tenured player, thinks the team's togetherness is a big part of that.
"We really got together as a group. Everybody loves playing with each other," he said when asked about defensive growth. That quote came just a few days before Carlisle said that the Pacers' superpower is their connectivity. Clearly, there is good camaraderie among the roster, and Bitadze thinks it has helped them on the court.
"Everybody knows we have great chemistry here," the 23-year old said. "We really have fun off the court... we like to get better together."
The outgoing Bitadze joked that he was the least funny player on the team, which details just how genial many guys on the roster are. That has elevated the Pacers, the younger group gets along in a way that many teams don't.
Bitadze has been a part of four different Pacers teams with three different head coaches. He's seen a lot with the franchise, including a postseason appearance and two different All-Stars, and yet this year's team still stands out with its togetherness. That's meaningful.
While Bitadze himself hasn't had the on-court impact he may have hoped for this season, his early contributions and aggressive play style have made him useful in bursts for the team this year. The tight-knit blue and gold will hope that continues in his future appearances as the team hopes to remain above .500. They return home tonight to take on the Washington Wizards, a team that Bitadze has two points, two rebounds, and two assists against this season.
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