Hornets return from extended break to take on the slumping Bulls

Will Josh Green's return spark a fire?

Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Don't look now, but the Charlotte Hornets (12th, 7-17) are putting something together that could be considered a play-in push! Winners in three of their last six, they've been getting slightly closer to the Bucks (10th, 11-15) and Bulls (11th, 9-14).

And in even better news, they face off with the latter today at 7 pm EST in Spectrum Center!

This season's meetings:

The Hornets and Bulls have faced off only once this season. Back on the 28th of November, Brandon Miller (27pts, 5rb, 3bl) led his ballclub past the visitors 123-116. Neither team had a great shooting game that evening, combining for 23 threes on 81 attempts.

The Chicago Bulls shot chart on 11/28 | NBA.com

As the shot chart above shows, the Bulls had an especially tough time finding their rhythm offensively. It'd be nice to say that this was a result of the Hornets' suffocating effort.

Sadly, according to the NBA's tracking data, only 14 of Chicago's 36 threes were contested. So the poor shooting has to probably be attributed to bad shooting luck moreso than stifling defense.

What to expect tonight:

Chicago is slumping badly right now. Billy Donovan's squad has won only one of their last nine games, ranking bottom five in scoring, efficiency, and turnovers over that stretch. Only one team has shot it worse from deep in that time span than the Bulls' 32.4%. Take a wild guess which team that is.

Of course, it's the Hornets. So it's fair to say that neither team shoots the leather of the ball in general. But still, look out for them to get a bunch of threes up because the lack of success hasn't stopped either team from taking tons so far.

INJURY REPORT

Hornets: OUT - Grant Williams (R Knee), Pat Connaughton (R Calf), Tre Mann (R Knee), LaMelo Ball (L Ankle), Colin Sexton (L Quad), Liam McNeeley (G-League) QUESTIONABLE - Moussa Diabate (R Knee)

Bulls: OUT - Ayo Dosunmu (R Thumb), Noa Essengue (L Shoulder), Kevin Huerter (L Adductor) PROBABLE - Zach Collins (L Scaphoid), Tre Jones (L Ankle), Isaac Okoro (L Lumbar), Jalen Smith (L Hamstring), Coby White (R Calf)

In Isaac Okoro, Chicago is set to have an important player return to the rotation after an injury absence. With the former Cavalier, the Bulls actually have a respectable record of 8-7 this year, so should he suit up, it could change the dynamic of the game.

Luckily, the Hornets possibly have a returnee of their own.

Key Matchup - Josh Green's defensive impact

30 - that's the number of regular-season contests Josh Green has missed since going down with a sprained shoulder towards the end of last season. But now the Aussie is off the injury report, making his return very likely.

A difference maker? Josh Green hasn't been asked to be more than a role player so far in his career, but the Hornets need more out of him. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

What better opponent to face first than the Bulls, who rely heavily on guard play and drives, and should put Green to the test immediately. Overall, he should address two of the Hornets' major concerns: Guard defense and three-point shooting.

Granted, he's neither an elite point of attack defender nor a special kind of shooter from distance. But he can keep up with the taller/less athletic guards like Josh Giddey and hit open threes consistently. Those are two things you can't say about most Hornets' players.

Projected Starting Lineup

	Hornets	Bulls
Point Guard	KJ Simpson	Josh Giddey
Shooting Guard	Kon Knueppel	Coby White
Small Forward	Brandon Miller	Isaac Okoro
Power Forward	Miles Bridges	Matas Buzelis
Center	Ryan Kalkbrenner	Nikola Vucevic

- TRENDING STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -

LaMelo Ball's value to Hornets called into question, but trade also feels unlikely

Charlotte Hornets report card: How has the team performed at the quarter-season mark?

Jonathan Kuminga mock trade: How Hornets can land enticing young player

Liam McNeeley's development is right on schedule for the Charlotte Hornets