Its Been A Bad Start For Josh Green With The Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are yet again starting an NBA season poorly. They are not 11 games in, and this franchise currently has a record under .500. This is disappointing. With all the youth hype that occurred, and as a fan, I am sick and tired of this team losing. Many players have been disappointing for the Hornets so far, but from the bunch, I have been the most disappointed in Josh Green, who has had a really slow start.
How Did The Charlotte Hornets Acquire Green In The Offseason?
Remember the big trade that was announced involving Klay Thompson this offseason? Well, the Charlotte Hornets were one of the six teams involved in that deal. The Hornets acquired Josh Green in that deal, along with Reggie Jackson, A 2029 2nd Round Pick, and A 2030 2nd Round Pick. It was a nice get for Charlotte, to mainly eat salary for the trades to go through. Getting 2 draft picks and a solid swingman/defensive depth player on the team is nice value.
How Has He Been On The Court?
Well, it hasn't been great. In the 9 games that he has played, Green has averaged just 4.6 points, 1.1 assists, 1.6 rebounds, 0.4 steals and 0.4 blocks. The worst part is, of the 9 games Green has played, he started 8 of them. Those are terrible numbers for a player who plays around 18 to 29 minutes a game. A tremendous concern is, that Green's defensive skills have been very lackluster, and that is what drove a lot of fans to like this addition. It's not on offense, as his career high in points per game in a season was 9.1 in the 2022/23 NBA Season.
A Big Reason Why He Hasn't Played Well?
With how bad Green is playing, there is something else that I have noticed with Green. He's playing with an injury. Many forget that Green missed some offseason workouts, the season opener, and the entire preseason, due to an Achilles injury. Green may not be severely injured, but that injury affected his play, and he looked rusty in his first few games. Even after rewatching their latest game against the Orlando Magic, his footwork has been sloppy.
Green needs to have a strong next few games, because his bad start could affect the minutes he plays. Cody Martin has performed a lot better than Green has this season, especially on defense. Unless injuries occur, Martin should start over Green until proven otherwise. There is still time for Green to turn it around, but as of today, it's been a disappointing start.