There was a time when it seemed like Josh Green had more Charlotte Hornets fans who wanted him off the team than who preferred him to stay. But now, he has vindicated himself after establishing his role on the Hornets, who have benefited from his occasionally productive nights.
Wednesday was one of them, as Green helped Charlotte nearly rally for a comeback victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The squad fell behind 13-2 in the first four minutes of the game, with its strategy of playing LaMelo Ball off the bench for the first leg of its back-to-back backfiring.
The Hornets' offense struggled so much that they put up a season-low 12 points in the second quarter en route to scoring just 32 in the first half and trailing by 24 points at the break. They then fought fire with fire, turning it up on defense to hold Cleveland to just 38 second-half points. However, the earlier deficit proved difficult to surmount.
Charlotte ultimately lost 94-87. Still, it deserves praise for not folding after falling into a deep hole versus a playoff contender, and Green was instrumental in its ability to keep the contest close.
Doing the little things
The 25-year-old swingman didn't look to score much, recording just seven points on 2-3 shooting. He focused more on doing the little things and filling in the gaps as usual. On Wednesday, he helped crash the boards after Moussa Diabate was limited by the Cavs' imposing frontcourt led by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Green grabbed nine rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end.
He also teamed up with Diabate and Grant Williams to put the clamps on Cleveland at key junctures in the fourth quarter. They proved instrumental in the Hornets' trimming the lead to a single digit early in the period.
It's also worth noting that Green logged a plus/minus of +12, demonstrating how impactful he played for Charlotte.
Of course, he has been prone to putting up some mediocre to bad performances, such as when he failed to score a single point against the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors during their five-game Western Conference road trip. Even so, he has still found ways to be useful even without filling the stat sheet.
The perception surrounding the 3-and-D role player has changed significantly. What might be shocking about it is that he is averaging nearly the same per-36 minutes numbers as last season, except for a slight increase in rebounding. His shooting splits are also pretty similar.
However, the difference this time, perhaps, is the expectations surrounding Green. Fans banked on him to produce more as a starter last campaign. This year, he has thrived in his role as a reserve, providing the Hornets with a lot of quality minutes.