Pacers’ Goga Bitadze out indefinitely with ankle sprain

Pacers big man Goga Bitadze has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right ankle sprain, the team announced in a press release.

There’s no set timetable for how much time Bitadze will miss, according to the Pacers, who said in the announcement that he’ll be out indefinitely. The plan is to re-evaluate him in two weeks to assess his progress.

As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files notes (via Twitter), Bitadze’s ankle sprain is the latest example of the bad luck he has endured since being selected 18th overall in the 2019 draft. Visa issues delayed his initial arrival stateside, forcing him to miss Summer League as a rookie, and he has also dealt with knee issues since beginning his NBA career.

Bitadze, 21, appeared in 54 games as a rookie for the Pacers, averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 8.7 minutes per contest. When healthy, he’ll provide depth at the five behind Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner.