Indiana could extend Bitadze a qualifying offer next summer and sign him to his second multiyear NBA contract, so a lot is riding on his performance during the 2022-23 season. The 7-footer plans to keep a clear head by relying on the advice Pachulia gave him when he was just a kid with a big dream. “He kept telling me that it’s really hard to get into the NBA, but it’s harder to stay in the NBA, which just stayed in my mind,” Bitadze said. ” … He’s been telling me that since I was like 12 or 13.”