Charlotte Hornets Guard Josh Green has provided a defensive boost since his return, but the overall team performance on that end of the floor has been nowhere near what head coach Charles Lee would have liked.

Green, who recorded three blocks and two steals in his first two games this season, shot 5/11 from the field and 4/7 from three-point range. He’s never been known as a big goal threat, but he consistently knocks down shots when he puts the ball up.

As Grant Williams noted after the win against the Toronto Raptors earlier in the week, Green does all the little things that get overlooked.

“Josh’s impact often doesn’t show up in the numbers. Whether full court or half court, he does an outstanding job of tracking players or providing protection off screens. Even on difficult floater shots it’s right there. You have to give him credit. I think he’s one of the best complementary guys in the league and has a great opportunity to be himself on this team. I’m excited that he can play his game and whether he makes mistakes or not, he just continues to play hard. “I’m so excited for him to have this opportunity and do his job.”

If you have a creative player like LaMelo Ball on offense, he’s going to take some chances with the basketball and sometimes they’re going to result in turnovers. He’s also a high-volume shooter, and it wouldn’t make sense to pair him with another ball-dominant guard in the backcourt. You want LaMelo to control the ball and create plays for himself and his teammates.

Green fits in well because he has always looked after the rock extremely well and is a pass-first, pass-second, pass-three type of player. He has the confidence to knock down shots, but will do his best to help his teammates make plays before he puts the ball up. He’s also one of the best defenders on the roster, as Grant noted above, which helps make up for Ball’s weakness.

As much as Green provides the Hornets defensively, there may come a time when Tre Mann’s scoring ability is too much to keep him on the bench to start games. I think we put a lot of emphasis on who’s in the starting lineup and who’s coming off the bench because minutes aren’t necessarily limited when you don’t start.

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

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