Last year, the Charlotte Hornets joined as one of the facilitators of the Klay Thompson deal between the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. It remains to be seen who ultimately wins out of the six teams that were involved. However, with Thompson facing the possibility of being relegated to the reserves, the Hornets could end up as the victors of the megatrade. That would depend, though, on Josh Green overcoming his first-year jitters in Charlotte.
Thompson has been an intriguing figure in the past couple of years, as he was expected to retire as a legend in Golden State. As it turned out, touchy contract negotiations and a demotion in his role (he was being benched for Brandin Podziemski) caused the potential Hall of Famer to seek an exit from his home of 11 seasons.
Now, it appears like there is a chance of the Mavs having to mull over removing him from the starting lineup. While he connected on 39.1 percent of his 3-pointers in his first campaign with the squad, he shot just 41.2 percent from the field overall, and it looks like he has taken a step back on defense.
Interestingly, Green had similar shooting numbers to those of Thompson while also failing to make enough of an impact on defense. There isn't any world where we can say that Green is the better player. However, if the former manages to outperform expectations this season while the five-time All-Star does the opposite, it's safe to say that Charlotte landed the best package in the trade.
Josh Green still has a long way to go to impress Hornets fans
It's worth noting, though, that Green has a steep hill to climb to be a highly esteemed figure in Buzz City.
He will still probably be considered for a spot in the starting lineup, especially since the team barely has any other 3-and-D option at the wing. Giving him the nod could end up as a mistake that haunts the Hornets. However, we can't rule out the possibility of the Australian veteran showing significant progress in his game in the coming months, as they have just added a reinforcement to the coaching staff that could benefit him heavily.
Green's defense will definitely be under the microscope, as that will show whether he is worth being slotted alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. And while his 3-point shooting looks potent enough so far, his efficiency inside the arc and on the free-throw line leaves a lot to be desired. If he can address those weaknesses, his reputation should see a stark increase.