What Josh Green's impending return will mean for the Charlotte Hornets

Although he drew the ire of many Charlotte Hornets fans in his first season with the team, Josh Green wasn't all that bad in 2024-25.

The Aussie swingman was a key cog in the Dallas Mavericks' run to the 2024 NBA Finals, serving as an off-ball specialist in a Luka Doncic centric offense. He knocked down open shots (Green shot 39% from three in 2023-24), finished plays at the rim (he made 71% of his field goals at the cup with 74% of them being assisted), and staunchly defended the point of attack.

In an ideal world, that is exactly what he would have done after he was traded Charlotte last year. Green was acquired to supplement LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller's supposed offensive brilliance while allowing Charlotte's star shot creators to take on lesser matchups on defense.

Unfortunately for all parties, we know how the season went.

Ball and Miller got hurt, forcing Green's role to scale up to a level that was outside of his comfort zone.

Gone were the spoon fed looks on cuts and spot ups; Green was forced to be a centerpiece in Charlotte's offense at times due to the teammates he was sharing the floor with.

In 651 possessions with Green, Ball, and Miller on the court, Charlotte thrived, outscoring opponents by 4.8 points per 100 possessions. Everyone slotted nicely into their roles and Green played the brand of basketball that made him such an intriguing trade target last summer.

In 1555 possessions with Green on the floor and Ball and Miller off, Charlotte was outscored by 11.8 points per 100 possessions. With all due respect, Vasilije Micic, Nick Smith Jr., Damion Baugh, and Seth Curry don't deserve nearly the same amount of attention as LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, and those lineups with Green as one of the Hornets' primary offensive options struggled mightily.

With all of that said, Josh Green should return to being a positive player in this iteration of the Hornets.

What to expect from Josh Green in his return

Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) defends — Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

LaMelo Ball won't be available for tonight's game, but Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and to an extent, Miles Bridges, have proven to be adept shot creators for not only themselves, but their teammates. When defenses hyper-focus on Charlotte's primary creators, their ancillary pieces thrive, and Green should see some success on offense going forward when sharing the floor with them.

Josh Green shot 39% from three last season and a blistering 41% from the corners (notably for tonight, 46% from the corners in the Spectrum Center), and he should see some cushy looks in Charlotte's reimagined offense that shoots the ninth most corner threes in the league.

To be frank, though, any contribution Green gives on offense will be gravy. His bread is buttered on the defensive end of the floor.

Green plays with a physicality on the defensive perimeter than can only be matched in Charlotte by Sion James. It is likely that Green will come off the bench and spell either Miller or Knueppel for now, but he should step onto the floor ready to check the opposition's primary ball handler from the jump.

As much as sharing the floor with true creators helps Green on offense, his ability to guard opposing creators will allow his teammate's defensive roles to scale down and create a more holistic picture on that end of the floor.

Green alone won't fix Charlotte's 24th ranked defense, but he's not going to hurt it.

Of the Hornets that played at least 750 minutes in Charlotte last season, Green ranked second on the team in steal percentage (1.7%). Charlotte desperately misses some event creation on defense, and Green will provide the team some additional opportunities to get out and run with his quick hands and physical demeanor.

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