Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green has provided a defensive boost since his return, although the team’s overall performance on that end of the floor hasn’t been nearly what head coach Charles Lee would have liked.

In his first two games this season, Green recorded three blocks and two steals while shooting an efficient 5/11 from the field and 4/7 from three-point territory. He was never considered a great scorer, but when he throws the ball in the air he regularly blocks shots.

As Grant Williams explained after the win over the Toronto Raptors earlier this week, Green does all the little things that often go unnoticed.

“Josh’s impact is often not reflected in the box score. He does a phenomenal job of chasing guys, whether it’s full court, half court, or guarding guys off screens. Even on shots shooting hard floaters – it’s right there. You have to give him credit. I think he’s one of the best complementary players in the league and he has a great chance to be himself with this team. I’m looking forward to him being able to play his game and whether he makes a mistake or not, just keep playing hard. I’m just really happy that he gets this chance and does his thing.”

When a creative player like LaMelo Ball runs the offense, he takes some chances on the basketball, and sometimes that leads to turnovers. He is also a multiplayer player and it would make little sense to pair him with another ball-dominant defender in the backcourt. They want LaMelo to control the ball and create plays for himself and his teammates.

Green fits well because he has always taken great care of the ball and is a pass first, then pass, then shoot type of player. He has the confidence to knock down shots, but he will do whatever he can to help his teammates make plays before blowing them up. Plus, as Grant mentioned above, he’s one of the best defensive players on the roster, which helps offset Ball’s vulnerability.

As much as Green brings to the Hornets defensively, there may come a time when Tre Mann’s scoring ability is too great to keep him on the bench early in games. I do think we put too much emphasis on who is in the starting line-up and who comes off the bench, because minutes aren’t necessarily limited if you’re not in the starting line-up.

However, the Hornets may want to start games with the potent scoring trio of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mann instead of waiting around five minutes before sending him to the scorer’s table.

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