Bitadze had his greatest recreation of the season Sunday evening because the Orlando Magic beat the Phoenix Suns, 115-110. He had a season-high 21 factors and a career-high 16 rebounds, although his monster rebounding efficiency is in keeping with what he is finished to date this season, with eight double-digit rebounding video games.
The 25-year-old has been a lifesaver for the Magic, who’ve misplaced three key entrance court docket gamers this season. Paolo Banchero, an influence ahead and someday small ball heart, suffered a torn oblique in October, and ahead Franz Wagner is out for at the least 4 weeks with the same injury. Beginning heart Wendell Carter, Jr. missed 13 video games with plantar fasciitis, although he returned two weeks in the past.
However even with out Banchero, and principally with out Carter, the Magic managed to go 14-4 in Bitadze’s begins. The Magic are 11.5 factors higher when Bitadze is on the court docket, due to his wonderful offensive rebounding (2.8 per recreation) and his 71% capturing on two-pointers.
Indiana drafted Bitadze with the No. 18 decide within the 2019 draft, however he by no means actually obtained common enjoying time with the Pacers, who had Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis forward of him for his first three seasons. On the commerce deadline in 2023, Indiana thought so little of Bitadze, an impending free agent, that after they wanted an additional roster spot after serving to facilitate Kevin Durant’s commerce to the Phoenix Suns, they merely launched Bitadze.
Given a second likelihood, Bitadze instantly emerged as an impression defender for Orlando. His offensive rating was 110 factors per 100 possessions in 2022-23, dropped to 107 final season and is a stingy 103 this 12 months. The superior stats love Bitadze’s protection as effectively, with a defensive field rating plus/minus of two.8 final season and a couple of.7 to date this 12 months — that means he is practically three factors higher than a median defender, per 100 possessions.
This summer season, Bitadze resigned for 3 years and $25M, which is trying like a severe discount, particularly for the reason that wage numbers decline each season.
Orlando will want Bitadze much more with Wagner and Banchero out, however they did show they will beat a great group just like the Suns with out their stars. It is nonetheless going to be a wrestle for the Magic to make baskets, however at the least with Bitadze, they have a participant uniquely suited to rebound and put again the inevitable missed pictures.
The Magic have hit on strong gamers within the draft with Wagner, Banchero and Jalen Suggs. However they’re staying the playoff hunt due to the potential they acknowledged in one other group’s obvious draft bust.
