Goga Bitadze 'Really Good' in Magic Debut vs. Pacers

The newest member of the Orlando Magic, Goga Bitadze, had six points and six rebounds in his first action with his new team.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 26, 2023

Goga Bitadze 'Really Good' in Magic Debut vs. Pacers /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - When the Orlando Magic signed Goga Bitadze earlier this month, it was a low-risk, high-reward transaction.

Bitadze, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has talent but struggled to find a role with the Indiana Pacers, which triggered the team to waive him at the trade deadline.

Fast forward nearly three weeks later, and Bitadze was facing his former team in his Magic debut. In nine minutes of action, Bitadze scored six points and grabbed six rebounds and the Magic was a +7 with him on the court during the loss against the Pacers.

"I thought he was really good," head coach Jamahl Mosley said. "I thought his energy was good. I thought his toughness, obviously, going against his old team, his confidence level was great... I think just giving him a look, I thought was really good and I thought he performed well in that role."

Bitadze entered the game early large in part due to Jonathan Isaac (injury management) sitting out and Wendell Carter Jr. picking up three quick fouls in the first quarter. However, Bitadze helped the Magic pull out of a deficit and shined in his Magic debut.

It remains to be seen whether this will push Bitadze into the rotation full-time, but after a good first impression, it probably won't be the last time he sees the court for the Magic.

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Published Feb 26, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.