Goga Bitadze · When asked about the Orlando Magic’s connectedness and ability to string together a second-consecutive 27-point home win, Goga Bitadze began his response through a verifiable two word answer: “We’re growing.” Given his imposing presence at 6-foot-11, and his willingness to leap beyond any red jersey around the rim already, such a visual had to be quite frightening for the Washington Wizards on November 10, 2024. Organizing the offense, first from Orlando’s high post, Bitadze patiently eases into a handoff-and-roll, joining his teammate in looped, near-identical paths to the rim. Gauging his partner’s accuracy on a difficult circus shot to be spotty, Bitadze clocks in for cleanup duty, taking flight for a powerful putback jam. Beginning to enter a sweet spot on his career’s night-to-night box score record, Bitadze used his hustle to encourage a 10-point, 12-rebound, three-assist, one-block tally, alongside a +13 plus-minus and just one missed attempt. It marked his fourth-straight game in the double-figure scoring column. · State of Mint · State of Mint
