What will Josh Green bring to Hornets? Early impressions at training camp are strong
Thinking about how things unfolded mere weeks after the NBA Finals and the comedic nature of it all now, Josh Green chuckled.
Being on the same court and coached by Charles Lee — a member of the team that dashed his championship aspirations and still stings a bit — wasn’t exactly something Green envisioned back in June when he trudged off the floor at Boston’s TD Garden floor disappointed with the series outcome.
But here they are, together again. Just in a different way.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” Green said Wednesday after the Charlotte Hornets’ wrapped up practice at Duke University’s Michael W. Krzyzewski Center. “I mean, obviously at first I was like, ‘Damn, man, like you beat me a couple of weeks ago’ when he first texted me. His profile page was the championship trophy. So, nah, it’s good, though.
“At the end of the day, he’s a winner and I like to win. So, being a part of that is cool. He’s a great guy, great family man and it’s good to be around him.”
Acquired from Dallas in a six-team trade that helped facilitate Klay Thompson’s free agency move from Golden State to the Mavericks, Green is one of the Hornets’ top offseason additions. An athletic wing, he’s coming off a career best season, averaging 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 made 3-pointers per game.
Green’s strong suit is defense, which meshes perfectly with Lee’s philosophy and mentality. In a sense, it’s a perfect match.
Quickly, Lee has fallen in love with Green’s approach.
“Oh, my gosh,” Lee said Wednesday. “I’m Mr. Competitiveness and all that stuff, so to watch Josh make all these extra efforts and multiple efforts … We’ve been in our coach’s meetings sometimes where we are like, ‘Let’s just not try to mess Josh up.’ He’s able to do it a lot of time and he’s got his own technique of doing it. But he’s done a great job of being open-minded to doing things differently defensively, but also offensively.
“Now, we are going to put him in some situations where he’s got to handle the ball more, use him to facilitate because he has such a well-rounded game. He’s more than just a defender. That will be his first point of emphasis or his trademark, but he’s got so much more to be and I’m excited for him to showcase it this year.”
Green is thoroughly enjoying the subtle change in his job description with the Hornets. But there’s also an adjustment period that accompanies this new alteration.
“I think just getting used to having the ball back in my hands a lot,” Green said. “In Dallas, I was in the corners and just playing the role that was given to me. I think the coaches have done a great job of being open with me dribbling, passing and creating. And I think I’m comfortable with that, too. It’s just getting back into that rhythm.”
To expedite that process, Green arrived in Charlotte from overseas in early September. He might’ve come back to the states sooner if he didn’t require a brief break after playing for his native Australia in the Olympics.
The whirlwind summer makes this week slightly more challenging.
“It’s a different training camp time for me,” Green said, “different than previous years. So, getting back into shape, making sure my body is ready. Just making sure certain injuries are taken care of since last year. So, overall, the training staff has been great here … making sure that I’m ready to go, and adjusting to a new system and everything.
“But I think the staff has done a great job making me welcome, and making sure I’m ready to go.”
Green is slowly fitting in seamlessly like he has everywhere he’s been, including with the Mavericks. That’s why a high-ranking executive with one Western Conference team couldn’t stop lauding Green’s growth since his rookie season, indicating the Hornets have a gem in the 23-year-old.
“Great person, great teammate,” the executive said. “High level athlete. Plays incredibly hard on both ends. Improved as a shooter. He is a great get for (Charlotte). (They) will love him.”
That falls in line with what Seth Curry thinks about the guy he played with in Dallas last season before the Hornets acquired Curry at the trade deadline in February. Curry noticed more than a few things about Green’s game and was particularly impressed by one attribute.
“How hard he plays on a nightly basis,” Curry said. “He’s a very unselfish player. And he’s a good teammate. So he’s pretty easy to play with.”
In part because of Green’s skillset.
“He’s a Swiss army knife — he can do a little bit of everything,” Curry said. “He can handle the ball a little bit, he can drive, shoot, can guard a lot of different positions. He’s going to bring a lot to us.”
Possibly for a good period of time as a key member of the franchise’s young core, since he’s only entering the first season of a three-year, $41 million pact the Mavericks gave him last October. He’s just happy to be with the Hornets and in a region that he’s had his eyes for longer than most probably know.
“It’s a great feeling,” Green said. “It’s kind of full circle. When I came from Australia, one of my first NBA games was a Bobcats game. And I did want to go to UNC. I don’t know how much that stirs the pot.
“But, yeah, I think it’s cool to be back here. Probably one of the biggest hoop states in America. So, I’m just happy to be here and I’m really excited.”
