To appreciate Josh Green’s value to Charlotte, you have to look beyond the stat sheet

Charlotte Hornets Guard Josh Green has provided a defensive boost since his return, although the overall team performance on that end of the floor hasn’t been close to what head coach Charles Lee would like.

In his first two games this season, Green has recorded three blocks and two steals while shooting an efficient 5/11 from the field and 4/7 from three-point territory. He has never been known as a big goal threat, but when he puts the ball up he consistently knocks down shots.

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

“Josh’s impact is not often reflected in the box score. He does a phenomenal job rushing guys, whether it’s full court, half court, or guarding guys off screens. Even on shots where tough floaters are shot, he’s there. You have to give him credit. I think he’s one of the best complementary guys in the league and he has a great opportunity to be himself with this team. I’m excited for him to play his game and whether he makes a mistake or not, just keep playing hard. I’m just super excited for him to get that opportunity and do his thing.”

When you let a creative player like LaMelo Ball run the offense, he’s going to take some risks with the basketball, and sometimes they result in turnovers. He’s also a high-volume shooter, and pairing him with another ball-dominant guard in the backcourt wouldn’t make much sense. You want LaMelo to handle the ball and create plays for himself and his teammates.

Green fits in nicely because he has always taken extremely good care of the stone and is a player who passes first, passes second and shoots third. He has the confidence to knock down shots, but he will do everything he can to help his teammates take action before he commits the ball. Additionally, as mentioned above by Grant, he is 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 potential is too great to keep him on the bench to start games. I think we take too much into account who is in the starting lineup and who comes off the bench, because the minutes are not necessarily limited if you don’t start.

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

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