Desmond Bane Lifts Up Magic Teammate

Goga Bitadze Stays Ready

Orlando's had to rely on Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero initiating much of their offense this season, mostly out of necessity due to injuries, rather than the ideal balance they're searching for.

I asked Orlando Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley how Orlando's full-strength offense allows them to bend the defense before Bane and Banchero attack, allowing them to attack a bent defense rather than having to create nearly every advantage from scratch.

Coach Mosley emphasized how this dual threat forces defenses have to pick their poison:

When you have both of those guys (Bane, Banchero) in place, you know the team is loading up to them.

So you put them on different sides of the ball, next thing you know, that ball changes sides of the floor — you got to deal with Paolo on one side, you got to deal with Desmond on the other one.

And Jalen is doing a great job of initiating the action to make sure that those guys are both touching the basketball.

So our ability to just share it, move it — and that is part of it, you have got to have guys out there that they honor, that they have respect for, and these guys are drawing two a ton, so they are making the right play down the stretch.Jamahl Mosley

Bitadze stays ready in case his number is called as the team's unofficial unsung understudy behind starting center Wendell Carter Jr., able to step in on a moment's notice to do the dirty work.

Against the underhanded Timberwolves Wednesday night, Bitadze did just that, stepping in for a mask-wearing Carter who could use the break after breaking his nose, with Goga pulling down a season-high 15 rebounds, setting strong screens, and rolling hard for alley-oops and putback slams.

After the game, I asked Goga about his pick-and-roll chemistry with Desmond Bane, who connected with Bitadze for a few overhead shuttle passes in the two-man game, and if Goga felt good chemistry running 2-man game actions no matter who Orlando had on the court handling the ball.

Goga opened with sarcasm, saying how lucky he feels any time Des the 'scorer' shares the ball with him, then of course says he is joking and goes on to describe how easy it is to play with Des because of how much pressure the defense pays attention to him:

Usually he does not pass.

All I can do is keep rolling.

He is a scorer — whenever he finds me or throws lobs, I do not expect it, I am like one step behind.

I am joking.

He is a great player. He can go both ways, go left, go right. It is super easy to play with him. You just got to set good screens. He sets up his man really nice.

Teams have been playing him super aggressive, so need to stay with it, keep doing what he is doing. Because teams are pressuring him, denying him, top-lock, and it is hard for him.

So all I am trying to do is free up some space for him. So whenever he finds me, he finds me. If he does not, I will go for a rebound, try to make it easy for him.

But he is a great player, it is easy to play with him.Goga Bitadze

Bane replied on Twitter to offer his big man words of encouragement, 'yeah just keep rolling big fella'.

With the Magic rolling into their final two games of the season on a 4-game win streak with the main rotation finally available at once, (knock on wood) the good times might not be far behind.