Orlando Magic Coach Jamahl Mosley Reveals Thoughts on Goga Bitadze in Starting Lineup

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley broke down how Goga Bitadze fits into the starting lineup.

ORLANDO - When Orlando Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. was ruled out against the New York Knicks last minute with knee tendinitis, Goga Bitadze slid right into the starting lineup and helped the team earn a 117-108 win. 

Bitadze dropped a solid 13 points on 4 of 8 shooting from the field along with seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal in the win. 

"The great part about this unit and this group is that we're going to find the right thing and the right chemistry at the right time whatever game we play," head coach Jamahl Mosley said.

It was just the 43rd time that Bitadze has started out of 215 career games, with 21 of those starts coming this season. The Georgian big man has stepped in as the Magic's main starting center as Carter Jr. has dealt with multiple injuries this year.

Goga Bitadze had 13 points against the New York Knicks in a 117-108 win.  / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

At 24 years old, Bitadze is on his second team after he was waived by the Indiana Pacers last season and picked up by Orlando. This year, he is averaging 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 blocks in 20.3 minutes per game. 

Bitadze has excelled defensively this season, putting up a 3.3 defensive box plus/minus which is fourth in the entire NBA behind Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His defense is a big part of why the Magic has fared so well on that end this season. As a team, Orlando is giving up 110.6 points per game to opponents, the fifth-best in the league. 

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Orlando will be back in action on New Year's Eve when it takes on the Phoenix Suns on the road at 8 p.m. ET.