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With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze

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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#61 » by pacers33granger » Sat Jun 22, 2019 3:31 am

Honestly the more I think about it, the more I get the pick. Even if Domas isn't starting at the 4, we need another center. KOQ only played about 400 minutes last year in total, but he ended up having to play significant minutes in a decent amount of games. That number should go up for that slot on the roster this year either way.

If he truly is NBA ready and the BPA, then I get it being an easy choice. It cheaply fills a necessary spot in the rotation while giving us good upside for where the pick was made. Any fit issues are overblown. We've seen how fast the NBA changes.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#62 » by Scoot McGroot » Sat Jun 22, 2019 4:26 am

Yup. If Vic is out until November or December, I really want us to commit to building a system that can utilize two bigs. We were one of the last teams to zig and kept playing two big men for a long time. I’d like to see us zag for once.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#63 » by 8305 » Sat Jun 22, 2019 10:40 am

I’m generally a pretty easy sell and Pritchard is a pretty good salesman. Listening to his post draft interviews, I see the logic. Most of us say take the best available player. And, for the Pacers they saw Goga as the best available player apparently by a pretty large margin. At age 19 he’s under no circumstances a core guy for next season. Two, three years out talent will matter more and it sounds like this guy could be better than either Dom or Myles. Can’t pass on a talent like that for a wing whose high end is role/rotation player.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#64 » by Wizop » Sat Jun 22, 2019 12:27 pm

Scoot McGroot wrote:Yup. If Vic is out until November or December, I really want us to commit to building a system that can utilize two bigs. We were one of the last teams to zig and kept playing two big men for a long time. I’d like to see us zag for once.


as much as I like Slick, I thought he erred by matching up too much and never forcing the other team to match up to us. you want to try and establish the tempo of the game to your advantage. now Vogel was the other extreme always staying big and daring the opponent to deal with it and I'm not advocating that either at least not for 48 minutes. I agree completely that with Vic out it will be time to experiment.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#65 » by UcanUwill » Sat Jun 22, 2019 12:35 pm

This guy is way more skilled than Plumlee. Fit makes no sense, but you just take him at 18, its a robbery he felt to you guys, best Euro in the draft easily.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#66 » by Tom White » Sat Jun 22, 2019 1:17 pm

UcanUwill wrote:This guy is way more skilled than Plumlee. Fit makes no sense, but you just take him at 18, its a robbery he felt to you guys, best Euro in the draft easily.


The fit really can make sense if you look at the number of games either Turner or Sabonis missed due to injury this past season. Also have to consider the number of times either one or both of them had foul problems. If he is as good as is being said, at his young age, who knows how good he might become. You can never have too much talent on your team. Opens up future moves too if needed.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#67 » by Moooose » Sat Jun 22, 2019 4:35 pm

I can't wait til training camp starts.

I really think Goga will have a significant impact on the development and determination of both Myles and Domas. Goga will surely give them both hard times in practices and should help them bring out all they have against him. Drafting him will most likely make our frontcourt function better.

Pritchard said we can play Myles at 4. Haven't seen that before but it sure seems a good case if it clicks. Goga also addresses the help Domas needed in the 2nd unit being a rim protector. That core group of Myles, Domas, and Goga makes a ton of sense, in my opinion, as long as they are complementing each other's weaknesses. Leaf unfortnately gets pushed down a bit in the rotation, but still has value as he is our best perimeter-shooting big.

Now, do we still need to look for a starting power forward with the arrival of Warren and Bitadze? I am quite torn, but personally, I wouldn't be shocked if we go into the season with Domas in the starting lineup and splitting most minutes between Myles, Domas, and Goga.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#68 » by Scoot McGroot » Sat Jun 22, 2019 4:53 pm

I don’t think a starting 4 is necessary, but I would like to see a vet 4, even like a Jeff Green. I’d also like to see Doug cross at the 2, especially while Bic is out. Keep a Bogey and you have solid depth there.

Also, the fact that Goga has been playing professionally since 15 will likely help him slide into the lifestyle and locker room much easier too.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#69 » by winter_mute_13 » Sat Jun 22, 2019 5:15 pm

Moooose wrote:Now, do we still need to look for a starting power forward with the arrival of Warren and Bitadze? I am quite torn, but personally, I wouldn't be shocked if we go into the season with Domas in the starting lineup and splitting most minutes between Myles, Domas, and Goga.


I've been wondering the same. Pacers have the option of Domas at the 4 if they want to start big or Warren if they want to start small. Do they really need a "regular" PF? For depth sure, but should the Pacers really spend money on a different starting PF?

Not having to do so would mean the bulk of the cap space (beyond Bojan's cap hold) can be used to shore up the rather thin backcourt, either most of it going to a big name guy like Russell or split between 2 mid tier options, like Rubio and Lamb perhaps.

Now having said that I'm sure the Pacers are going to use their cap space on Horford instead, because they like to troll us :roll: :lol:
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#70 » by Scoot McGroot » Sat Jun 22, 2019 5:41 pm

So, I’m going to keep in mind that Warren is a type of player that his team just paid a good price to take off their hands. He’s not consistently healthy, a terrible defender, a poor rebounder, a ball stopper offensively, and has only shown 3 pt shooting for a very short time in his career, while showing he was a terrible long range shooter for a long time before that.

I’m hoping for the best, but I’m definitely not willing to pencil him in as a starter at EITHER of SF or PF. I think he’s competing with Doug for the backup SF minutes until he proves otherwise.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#71 » by Wizop » Sat Jun 22, 2019 6:28 pm

Moooose wrote:Pritchard said we can play Myles at 4. Haven't seen that before


he played 4 his rookie year.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#72 » by Pacercoltboiler » Sun Jun 23, 2019 12:48 am

Prichard talking about Myles at the 4 got my attention too. I'd rather see him there than Domas. Do you think Turner could guard people like Marcus Morris or Trevor Ariza? Turner and Goga side by side with Sabonis coming off the bench at the pivot sounds kinda nice.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#73 » by Wizop » Sun Jun 23, 2019 12:13 pm

Pacercoltboiler wrote:Prichard talking about Myles at the 4 got my attention too. I'd rather see him there than Domas. Do you think Turner could guard people like Marcus Morris or Trevor Ariza? Turner and Goga side by side with Sabonis coming off the bench at the pivot sounds kinda nice.
Goga shouldn't start ahead of Damos. I want to see some zone. it sure confused Warriors. if nothing else we need to practice zone defense in order to practice zone offense

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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#74 » by Vorda » Sun Jun 23, 2019 12:31 pm

Goga will be back up center... Domas will play more af PF... I dont understand why we took Warrens contract.... he is tweener with bad defense... now we cant sign big name amymore and we have two bad contracts on roster... Warren and Doug...

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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#75 » by Moooose » Sun Jun 23, 2019 1:47 pm

Wizop wrote:
Moooose wrote:Pritchard said we can play Myles at 4. Haven't seen that before


he played 4 his rookie year.


On some games, maybe yes. But we were looking at how he'd fit at that year considering he was a rookie. And we also had Jordan Hill, LaVoy Allen, and Ian Mahinmi on that team. The next season he was a full starter at center and I think that is his best fit.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#76 » by Moooose » Sun Jun 23, 2019 1:52 pm

I am reading some posts saying it looks like Warren will be coming off the bench. As a small 4, I suppose. If not, we are sliding Doug down to the 2 spot. Position-less basketball?
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#77 » by Scoot McGroot » Sun Jun 23, 2019 2:23 pm

Vorda wrote:Goga will be back up center... Domas will play more af PF... I dont understand why we took Warrens contract.... he is tweener with bad defense... now we cant sign big name amymore and we have two bad contracts on roster... Warren and Doug...

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It appears we took Warren because Pritchard valued him as a player.

Also, any additions we have made already are probably decided after communication with agents of any free agents of targets we may be interested in or have interest in us. We may not be able to negotiate contracts, or make formal offers, but agents can and do imply if their players would or would not have interest in certain cities.

We certainly haven’t given up Kemba or Russell for Warren, if that’s what you’re worried about. And if Doug is a bad contract you’re worried about, don’t be. He’s a role player. Role players on the bench cost about his contract. In this free agency, he will cost 6.7% of the salary cap. You might see Doug playing some 2 guard off the bench this year. TJ might be our situational small PF off the bench on occasion. Keep Bojan, and if a guy like Russell circles back around, then move Doug’s contract for cap space and you can pay Russell. But if Russell doesn’t come around? Well, you have Doug who can fill a role for you in the meantime.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#78 » by Grang33r » Sun Jun 23, 2019 9:33 pm

Wonder what number he will wear?

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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#79 » by Wizop » Sun Jun 23, 2019 10:02 pm

Grang33r wrote:Wonder what number he will wear?

35 is retired.


he held up 19 at his press conference but I read somewhere that he wanted an unavailable number. wouldn't think that would be 35 as that was Rajah. more likely it was a number someone had last year. Pachulia is his idol and he wore 27 last year which is available. the roster on pacers.com doesn't show a number yet.
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Re: With 18th Pick, Pacers Select Goga Bitadze 

Post#80 » by Topofthekey » Sun Jun 23, 2019 10:28 pm

On a separate note, although I see the draft as being a success for the team, being able to draft Goga at 18, the only thing that is stopping me from calling it a complete success was that the team didn't trade up from 32 to pick either Keldon Johnson or Kevin Porter, who were taken at 29 and 30 respectively - how much would it take to trade up two spots?

Also, when Nassir Little fell as far as he did, I was kind of hoping the team would trade up into the 20s to pick him

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