Measurables:
- Age: 19
- Height: 6’11”
- Wingspan: 7’2″
- Weight: 250 LBs
Strengths:
Talented Shot Blocker. Great timing.
Great touch around the basket. Has a lot of potential as a post player.
Decent shooter. Smooth release at 6’11”.
Above average rebounder. Strong with a good motor.
Just turned 19. Tons of upside at his size/skill.
Weaknesses:
Only an average athlete. Struggles to guard quicker players.
Turnover prone. Often coughs the ball up in double teams.
Has never dealt with NBA length/speed.
Likely a 2-3 year project.
NBA Comparison:
Marc Gasol
Big bodies who are comfortable with the ball in their hands. Bitadze may not be the DPOY that Gasol is, but his shot blocking and decent mobility point to him being a solid defender. Gasol has developed into a very good shooter which is a skill Bitadze has shown a ton of potential in.
NBA Draft Outlook:
8-20 Range.
Bitadza is a “slow” big man and a Euroleague prospect. Two things teams are skeptical to draft. I have him as the 9th best player in the draft, but he could easily fall.
Ideal Fits:
Atlanta at 8, 10, or 17:
The Hawks will likely be looking to take a Big Man with one of their first 3 picks and Bitzadze would be a great fit for a young team. Him and Collins would form a really dynamic inside/outside duo offensively and compliment each other on the other end. He will likely need to come of the bench a year or two, but his upside as a scorer is much higher than similarly ranked Jaxson Hayes and Brandon Clarke.
Boston at 14 or 20:
Boston is an established team that doesn’t have a ton of depth in the front court. Bitadze could play behind Al Horford for a year or two and develop into the NBA game before potentially taking over. His ability to stretch the floor and handle the ball a bit would be valued in their versatile offense. I’d be surprised if he fell to 20, but 14 isn’t out of the question.
