The Charlotte Hornets are entering training camp with health as probably the biggest concern they have to deal with. After LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams played an abbreviated 2023-24 campaign, the team is hoping the pair will have recovered enough in time for the start of the regular season.
Another question the Hornets will need to answer is which player should have the privilege of taking a spot in the starting lineup on opening night.
Four of those slots are presumably already reserved for the organization's core trio of Ball, Williams, and Brandon Miller plus Miles Bridges, whom it will be paying a handsome amount, thanks to the lucrative extension they agreed on this summer.
Ranking the Hornets' options for their 5th starting spot
The training camp will provide the coaching staff with an idea about which player would fit well with the other likely starters. The good news is that there are a few options at its disposal, including a good mix of veterans and youngsters.
The wild cards
New coach Charles Lee might give some under-the-radar possibilities a look in the coming weeks, including Seth Curry, Tre Mann, and Nick Smith Jr.
Curry would be an unconventional choice, given that the sharpshooter is entering his age-34 season. However, his proficiency from outside would provide the starters with more space to operate on offense. He didn't have his best-shooting season in the last campaign, but Stephen Curry's younger brother's 43.1% efficiency from downtown currently ranks eighth all-time in career 3-point field goal percentage.
Mann probably wouldn't get the nod since his ideal position with the squad is likely to be a sixth man. The Hornets would need an offensive spark off the bench, and the former Oklahoma City Thunder guard looks suitable for that role. Still, it's worth noting that he started in all 28 appearances in Charlotte last season.
Smith Jr. might be the longest shot to start in the 2024-25 campaign, especially since he is from being a starting-caliber player. However, his tremendous upside as a shot creator and a catch-and-shoot threat made him one of the pleasant surprises for the Hornets last season and should be enough reason for the coaching staff to consider him moving forward.
3. Cody Martin
After Miles Bridges, Cody Martin is the Charlotte Hornets' longest-tenured player, having been with the franchise since it plucked him in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
That's not the sole reason the Hornets should try him out as a starter, though. Martin has proven to be a solid defender when healthy. As such, he could be an apt puzzle piece alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, both of whom have the tools to be at least solid defenders but have yet to reach their potential on that end of the floor.
However, there are a few obstacles to Martin's promotion to the starting lineup. For one, his stints on the injured list in the past two seasons is incredibly concerning. Part of Charlotte's disappointing 2023-24 campaign was the plethora of injuries it endured.
Much has already been said about Ball and Mark Williams missing many games in the past two years. But Martin has actually made fewer combined appearances (35) in the previous two seasons than Ball (58) and Williams (62).
In addition, assigning the North Carolina native as a full-time starter could shrink the floor for the Hornets because of his inefficiency from the 3-point area. Despite converting 38.4% of his long-distance shots in the 2021-22 campaign, he is a career 31.7% shooter from that range.
So, Martin probably shouldn't expect to be on the court at tip-off, but it isn't a zero-percent chance.
2. Grant Williams
A midseason addition last season, Grant Williams' future with the Charlotte Hornets remains murky. There is the possibility of seeing him on a new team by the 2025 trade deadline because his contract makes him an attractive trade piece. Any struggles he faces could also give him the boot in Charlotte.
On the one hand, Williams can also prove to be a crucial piece for the Hornets, given his ability to shoot decently from long range (37.7% career 3-point field-goal percentage), defend multiple positions, and be the Hornets' enforcer.
An underrated aspect of his game also emerged after his arrival in Mint City: his playmaking skills. In Williams' 29 appearances in a Hornets uniform, he dished out 3.2 assists per contest — more than double his career number.
Of course, the squad having a revolving door of players in the lineup due to injuries factored into the improvement. Still, the forward's potential to be an all-around guy for the team looms.
A question entering training camp is whether Williams will help the Hornets as a starter or off the bench. His leadership and experience suiting up for contenders could give him an advantage in the coaching staff's decision-making process. However, those qualities might actually make the incoming six-year veteran more valuable as a reserve.
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.