Ranking the Hornets' options for their 5th starting spot

1. Josh Green

The safest bet to see playing alongside LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams on opening night would be Josh Green. The Charlotte Hornets acquired the promising swingman from the Dallas Mavericks in the Klay Thompson mega-trade.

While Charlotte looked like an afterthought in that transaction, the organization may end up as the winner of that deal if Green can tap into his potential at the Hive. The way for that to work is for the 23-year-old Australian to grow into a legitimate 3-and-D guy. Such a development would make him the perfect complement to Ball and Miller.

The idea of seeing that happen isn't that far-fetched, considering that Green is connecting on 37.5% of his 3-point shots for his career. On the flip side, that has come at a low volume despite the swingman having suited up alongside Luka Doncic in the past four seasons.

On the other end of the court, the former first-round pick has the tools to excel as a defensive stopper. His length, quick hands, and solid footwork should give the coaching staff confidence that he would thrive as the starting lineup's primary perimeter defender.

Perhaps the most consequential grounds for the Hornets to slot Green as a starter is that it would allow Miller and Bridges to play their natural positions at small forward and power forward, respectively.