Did Charles Lee tip his hand at who will be the Charlotte Hornets fifth starter?

Matt Alquiza | 6 Hours Ago

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Charles Lee, the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, is an optimistic guy. His jovial nature in front of the camera is akin to a fellow rookie head coach in Charlotte, the Carolina Panthers’ leading man Dave Canales. 

Lee’s relentless positivity can cause folks to take his interview answers with a grain of salt, but something felt different when he began gushing about the Hornets’ key offseason acquisition, Josh Green. 

Green, a former Dallas Maverick, was traded to Charlotte in a six (yes, six) team deal. The biggest question facing Lee and the Hornets on the precipice of the 2024-25 season is whether Green or Grant Williams will slot into the vacancy in the Hornets starting five alongside LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams. Charles Lee may have tipped his hand on Wednesday afternoon. 

When asked about what Green brings to Charlotte, Lee unleashed this soliloquy about his young swingman: “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.”

That doesn’t sound like somebody Charles Lee is planning to bring off the bench. 

Green’s defining trait is his defensive ability. He is a well-build wing player that can lock down both opposing guards and undersized forwards. Green uses his athleticism to guard all types of players, making him the “queen of the chessboard” type of wing defender that defensive-minded head coaches like Charles Lee drool over. Charlotte has lacked an intense defender that lives in the pocket of opposing attackers for some time, and Green can bring that to the franchise looking to change its identity.

The consistent refrain hanging over the Hornets through the early oughts of training camp is that the team is focusing on improving their defense. Charlotte finished 29th out of 30 teams in defensive rating last season, ranking 25th in both block and steals per game.

Lee and company have hammered home that point both in interviews and in practice. Green’s ability to be a force multiplier on that end could be the key that unlocks the two-way potential that Ball, Miller, Bridges, and Williams bring on a nightly basis. 

The Hornets tip-off their preseason campaign at the Spectrum Center on Sunday evening against the retooled New York Knicks, which will be onlookers first chance at finding out who will slot into the vacancy in the team’s starting five.

MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI

Ranking the Top 10 NBA Point Guards Entering the 2024-25 Season

Brandon Miller’s goal for 2024-25? An elite two-way season

Grant Williams and Seth Curry discuss desire to stay in Charlotte and be part of Hornets Turnaround

Jeff Peterson Talks Expectations, New Staff, Injuries, + More at Hornets Media Day