OCTOBER 11: Bezhanishvili has officially signed with the Nuggets, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Denver waived forward Matt Ryan to open up a spot on the 20-man roster.
SEPTEMBER 12: Free agent power forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili will ink an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nuggets, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). The 6’9″ rookie out of Illinois had previously suited up for Denver’s Summer League team.
The big man’s deal is fairly standard for a training camp invitee. Ostensibly, he could play himself into a rotation on the Nuggets’ 15-man roster to kick off the 2021/22 season. That said, the Nuggets are more likely to try him out on their new G League affiliate club, the Grand Rapids Gold. Bezhanishvili could also be in the mix for Denver’s second two-way player slot, alongside the already-signed Markus Howard.
The Nuggets currently have 14 players under standard guaranteed contracts, plus guard PJ Dozier on a non-guaranteed deal.
Bezhanishvili went undrafted this summer after logging three seasons with the Fighting Illini. The 22-year-old averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 95 contests with the club, including 57 starts.
He enjoyed his most productive collegiate run as a freshman. During the 2018/19 season, Bezhanishvili averaged 12.5 PPG and 5.2 RPG, in 26.1 MPG, while starting all 33 games. By his junior season, those numbers had declined to 5.1 PPG and 2.7 RPG, while averaging just 14.5 MPG in 31 games as a reserve.
When Bas.Ref. lists Rustavi, GA as his birthplace they mean the Georgia between Russia and Turkey, not between AL and SC.
Bezhan had to compete against a tough opponent at IL, Cockburn. He probably took license to relax a bit as a backup. But expect a lively effort, little fear and some ability… and off days. And a more useful NBA player defensively.
No one needed you to explain that.
Comrade, we must conquer Georgia to gain access to enough peaches and peanuts to feed the entire Soviet Army!
*Soviets invade Georgia and find a local resident*
Where are your peaches and peanuts citizen?
*Georgian replies in native language* What are peaches? What are peanuts?
Well it threw me for a loop, as they say, though it looks funny online. It also threw me when Cockburn’s backup came in and the team improved.
Makes absolutely no sense that he didn’t return to Illinois for his senior year…… had no chance of getting drafted.