Giant Grudge? Analyzing the Pacers 2019 Draft

Goga Bitadze. Photo Credit: Matt Kryger/Indy Star.

On Thursday night, with the 18th overall pick in the NBA draft, the Pacers selected center Goga Bitadze from Georgia (the country, not the state/college). Since their second round pick was traded for future draft picks (possibly) that leaves Bitadze as their only pick of the night, which makes my analyzing of their draft a lot easier.

Heading into the draft, I was hoping they picked someone who could help protect the rim, and they did just that, but also from what I was able to see, he's much more than a rim protector, he's someone who could help on both ends of the floor.

At 6-11, weighing about 250, He's a throw-back big man who likes to post up, but has the range and enough explosion to get up and down the floor as today's big man. One of the things most scouts and analysts were impressed with was his hands and footwork. Another impression I get from him is that he seems to be a team-oriented guy, which is also a must on this team.

Welcome to Indiana, Goga.

After the draft, Kevin Pritchard-- paraphrasing here-- mentioned that he was surprised that Goga fell to them at No. 18. From my understanding, Goga himself thought he would be off the board sooner. Although "Pritch" mentioned that he was one of the top 10 prospects on their draft board, it was said that prior to the draft, the Pacers didn't call him in for a workout because they didn't think he would be available to them that late in the draft.

I didn't catch wind of the media fail Bitadze had recently (pictured below) until Thursday night when I did some research on him. Media reporters fled to eventual first overall pick Zion Williamson, leaving Bitadze sitting by himself. He said of the photo: "It just makes me more hungry." 

Use it as stepping stones, my friend. Photo Credit: Fletcher Mackel/Twitter.

Of course, there are critics and fans who viewed it as a "weird pick," and bellyaching about them already having Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. Well, to me, and I think Pritch already alluded to this, it was a best-player-available move, a situation where a player is too good to pass up-- or at least taking the risk of passing him up. Again, he was a guy they didn't think would be available to them that late.

As far as the Turner, Sabonis situation, there's some speculation that the Pacers might move one of them. It's possible because despite Pritchard's convictions of keeping all three players, guys in his position like to use smoke and mirrors. As I thought about that situation later that night, I was thinking Turner and Sabonis can both play the center and power forward positions-- although I like Sabonis better at the 5 (center position)-- so it looks like they're looking at starting Turner and Sabonis in the frontcourt, bringing Bitadze off the bench for the time being, leaving Thaddeus Young as the odd man out.

As for me, I like the pick. I liked what I saw from him, having an in and outside game, and being able to protect the rim. Some compared him to Nikola Vucevic, but he reminded me of Sabonis, except he's a better shot blocker. I have a feeling that this young man is going to use the brush-off and naysaying as motivation. I think he's going to come in with a huge chip on his shoulder. The young man comes off as a gentle giant, but he may have a giant grudge on the league.