Goga Bitadze may be a funky fit next to the Indiana Pacers’ new core

Now committed to a new core following a wild trade deadline, the Indiana Pacers have set their sights on cultivating their young talent. While their first couple of games since have not resulted into wins, there has been a lot of encouraging signs from the young Pacers early on. That, however, does not include Goga Bitadze, who has looked everything but comfortable in the last two contests.

With Myles Turner still out until after the All-Star break, head coach Rick Carlisle has opted to start the Georgian center on the interim, having manned the 5 in the opening group for quite some time now.

Goga Bitadze may not be the best option to man the center position in the Indiana Pacers’ youth movement

Ever since the trade deadline, however, Goga Bitadze has looked like a funky fit next to the Pacers’ new acquisitions. Against the Cavaliers, he started the game against Cleveland’s slew of towering bigs, but only saw the court for ten total minutes after racking up a bunch of early fouls and getting outmuscled by Jarrett Allen and co.

Meanwhile, in their slim loss to the Timberwolves, the third-year center was a bit better in another starting nod, but the coaching staff largely went with Jalen Smith, who had a stellar performance in his second game donning the blue and gold.

Reading the box score too much is not ideal to judge Bitadze given his play style and low usage, but his lumbering pace simply goes wayward from the Pacers’ desired pace with new core group. While Indiana has been one of the slowest teams in the league for the most part this season, this is now inapt following Domantas Sabonis’ departure and Tyrese Haliburton‘s entrance.

A comparative outlook among the Pacers’ other big men makes Bitadze’s situation even grimmer. Isaiah Jackson, before sustaining another setback, looked like the perfect rim-running big next to Haliburton in the pick-and-roll. Smith, who came over from the Phoenix Suns, has surprised a lot of onlookers with his inside and out game. And we cannot forget about Myles Turner, who cannibalizes into Bitadze’s offerings as a rangy big with steady interior defense and does them at a greater rate.

Goga Bitadze has had an up-and-down tenure with the Indiana Pacers so far, mostly due to a lack of ample court time to show his value and prove his worth, but unfortunately, unless he recalibrates himself and finds his spot in the team’s suddenly breakneck pace, he may end up as the odd man out.