Goga Bitadze
Due to the huge coverage that NCAA men’s basketball receives on a night-to-night basis, college prospects are usually far more “approachable” than international ones. Just look at the often skeptical coverage of Luka Doncic ahead of last year’s draft to see how international players often do not receive the same level of focus that college players do.
While that is certainly changing as we speak, the simple matter of not having as much film to pore over for the typical NBA fan means that international players will often come in with a certain mystique and mystery surrounding them when they’re drafted.
One such international player that the Atlanta Hawks could ponder at #10 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft is Goga Bitadze out of the Republic of Georgia.
The idea of having a person from the country of Georgia play in the state of Georgia has always been an enjoyable one for Hawks fans (just ask Zaza Pachulia), and Bitadze comes in with a scintillating skill set that combines shot-blocking and deadeye three-point shooting – two things that the Atlanta Hawks will certainly be looking for in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Goga Bitadze getting ready for his Pro Day in NYC tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/c5RnEZMoCA
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 22, 2019
Bitadze won the Rising Star Award in the EuroLeague in 2018-19. The award, which was hoisted in consecutive seasons by Luka Doncic, recognizes the EuroLeague’s best player under the age of 22 each season. Goga will not turn 20 until July.
https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1129832332133916672
Bitadze fits with the Atlanta Hawks due to his age and skill set, so taking a swing on a high-upside international prospect with the team’s second 2019 NBA Draft pick in the first round makes perfect sense.