The story of Goga Bitadze's career has been his need to find opportunity.
With the Indiana Pacers, Bitadze struggled to find playing time. He was eventually phased out of the rotation as a new coaching staff came in with new ideas for the center spot. It seemed like a gruff center, like Bitadze, was getting phased out.
The Orlando Magic happily scooped up Bitadze. He immediately paid dividends for them. His shot blocking, energy and physicality fit their style perfectly. He gave them something their centers lacked.
Bitadze pushed for playing time at seemingly every turn. With Wendell Carter's history of injury, he became indispensable. When Moe Wagner went out last year with a torn ACL, Goga Bitadze became essential again.
Or so everyone thought.
As the season waned, and heading into the Playoffs, Bitadze's playing time decreased. He fell out of the rotation despite the Magic's need at center. He became something of a liability in the playoff series with the Boston Celtics for his over-physicality.
At this point, the Magic know what they have in Bitadze. There are still minor improvements to make -- Bitadze hints every summer that he will look to add a 3-point shot to his game -- but Bitadze is the physical, rim-protecting, hard-rolling center that completes the Magic's center rotation.
Bitadze will most likely start the season in the rotation with Wagner out. But once again, Bitadze will have to prove himself and prove his worth. He is once again in a situation where he must prove himself and fight for every minute.
It figures, that is the case. That has been the case for Bitadze's entire career.
Bitadze showed his potential and shortcomings last season
The Orlando Magic have an intriguing center rotation with Wendell Carter as the starter and Moe Wagner and Goga Bitadze fighting for backup minutes. Carter has a long injury history, hitting his career-high in games at 68 last year and that was with a multi-week absence at the beginning of the season.
When Carter has missed time, Bitadze has been the designated fill-in starter. He is someone the Magic trust in that spot for his defensive ability. Bitadze is an expert scavenger, cleaning up putbacks and rolling hard to the rim.
Among the Magic's centers, Bitadze is the one who looks most like the ideal for centers as a rim-running and rim-protecting big. He is the only one who seemingly plays comfortably above the rim on the Magic's roster.
Last year, despite the slow finish, was a career-best season for Bitadze.
Bitadze averaged a career-high 7.2 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game last season. He added a career-best 1.4 blocks per game. The Magic had a 107.4 defensive rating with Bitadze on the floor.
Before a January concussion, Bitadze averaged 9.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in 24.7 minutes per game. The Magic had a 109.5 defensive rating, 2.0 points per 100 possessions better than the team's average to that point and the best of the Magic's centers.
That January concussion was a notable turning point in the season. Bitadze joked before his return game against the Miami Heat that he would be "rusty and dusty," but he never quite found his footing again after that.
After that absence, Bitadze averaged 4.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in 16.1 minutes per game. The Magic were still good defensively with a 105.8 defensive rating as the team rounded into shape. But Goga Bitadze got fewer and fewer minutes as Wendell Carter got stronger and even as the team experimented with Jonathan Isaac at center more.
Bitadze ended up playing only 11 total minutes in three games against the Boston Celtics, highlighting how unreliable he had become.
What was the reason for this? Did Bitadze never really get healthy or find his rhythm again? Was he too physical for a team known for its physicality -- Goga Bitadze's two biggest moments in the Playoffs were the wild elbow he threw that bloodied Kristaps Porzingis in Game 2 and some straight shoving defense on the perimeter in the third quarter of Game 5?
Either way, his playoff absence spoke volumes too.
Bitadze is not starting from square one, but he must go out and prove himself all over again. The Magic will need him as they aim to go deeper into the Playoffs.
Bitadze is used to fighting for his spot
This is nothing new for Goga Bitadze. This is what he has done throughout his NBA career. He struggled to find playing time with the Indiana Pacers and was thrown into the fire because of injuries with the Orlando Magic.
In doing so, he found his niche and found a place and way to contribute to this team. Orlando will be leaning on that again, especially with Moe Wagner likely out until mid-December and possibly longer. Bitadze will be a vital piece of the Magic's puzzle this season.
Orlando certainly benefits more from the version the team saw before January than the one that ended the season. It showed just how far Bitadze could fall and where the split might be with him.
Wagner will surely get playing time set aside for him when he returns. But Bitadze will always have to be ready as they manage Wagner's recovery and if he struggles on his return. Bitadze still has a big part to play this season.
But this is nothing new. Bitadze has always had to fight for his spot and always had to find his niche to make his impact.
But that is what Bitadze has done his entire career. He is clearly capable of playing. His presence on this team is a luxury that has become necessary with all the injuries the Magic face.
As Orlando looks ahead to the season, the team knows Bitadze will be important. Just how important will be up to Bitadze and what minutes he fights to get.