Goga Bitadze is rising up

Zurab Talakvadze

Orlando Magic are playing some great team basketball. It all comes down to the suffocating defense, where everybody is digging the grave for the opposition.

No Paolo Banchero? No big deal, the Magic is winning. No Franz Wagner? The Magic is on.

Enter Goga Bitadze. The fighter from Georgia, who entered the season as a substitute, but raised his game during the last three weeks. Bitadze is just rolling.

The pivot from Georgian National Team is averaging career highs in points (8.9), rebounds (7.7), blocks (1.6), dimes (1.9) and steals (0.8). Goga is playing some tough defense as well. Enter the arena, boy!

He is shooting the ball also at a career high rate (62.3) and is solid from the stripe (78.0). Goga is dominating some stretches and is patrolling the paint.

During the last eight games, Goga is crushing the opposition. He is averaging 10.8 points, 10.1 boards and 2.0 blocks. Mind crushing it is!

The Eastern Conference is sending some bloody monsters into the play offs. The defending champions from Boston and the rising Cavs are the top tier. The Bucks are gaining some momentum after a slow (2:8) start and have just took home NBA Cup by demolishing Thunder in the final.

New York still lacks some toughness on defense, Atlanta is rising and where does Orlando sit on this fury road?

17:11, with Banchero and Franz still out of the line up.

Those stars are going to return and Magic will be deeper, tougher and angrier.

Goga will raise the bar. The Magic will remain in the hunt for the home field advantage in the first round at least.

This team won’t surrender to anybody. This team is effortless. The magic is in the air.

And Goga is alive.