Terrence Shannon Jr. Enters the Season Searching For Consistency

When the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Terrence Shannon Jr. with the 27th pick in the 2024 draft, they expected the then-24-year-old to have an immediate impact. The results have varied.

Now, as he enters his third year with the Timberwolves and his age-26 season, expectations are that he delivers productive, winning minutes. Terrence Shannon Jr. no longer has the benefit of the doubt as a newcomer. The Wolves need him to produce.

Shannon’s first two seasons with the Timberwolves were uneven. He dealt with multiple foot injuries that forced him to miss extended time. Even when Shannon was healthy, he didn’t show enough to earn a consistent role in the rotation.

Young players often struggle to find enough opportunity to make an impact on a winning roster. In an ideal world, as an older rookie, it should have been easier for Shannon to make an impact off the bench. However, he hasn’t shown enough consistency from game to game.

It is a bit of a paradox. Shannon cannot find consistency because he doesn’t show it in the few minutes he gets. Even when he gets consistent minutes, his output wavers.

Much of Shannon’s early-season trouble has been inconsistent usage. That became evident after Game 6 of the Denver Nuggets series when Chris Finch jokingly said “silly me” about how much more successful they were when Shannon was on the ball.

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The Timberwolves would be wise to give Shannon more on-ball touches in the middle of the floor. However, that isn’t easy. It all comes down to his usage, surrounding lineups, the opposing defensive infrastructure, and possession play types.

The Timberwolves will likely lean into a more guard-heavy look this upcoming season. Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and Ayo Dosunmu will garner the bulk of the on-ball reps, and Bones Hyland will also be in the mix. As a result, it will be hard to put the ball in Shannon’s hands.

Shannon’s case for more on-ball reps also doesn’t improve when Jonathan Kuminga and Jaden McDaniels are factored in as secondary ball-handlers.

Therefore, Shannon will need to prove himself in the opportunities he gets. He ultimately will need to master his strengths as a player. Shannon shines in freelance, unscripted, semi-transition, and transition opportunities. If he can make an impact on offense without being set up in specific lineups, he will have more opportunities.

Terrence Shannon Jr. is clearly gifted athletically. He has a quick first step and is open to face contact at the rim. When Shannon can grab and go in transition or get a throw ahead from a teammate, he becomes a dangerous threat for opposing defenders on their heels. Shannon may not always score, but he pressures the defense and often draws a foul.

Shannon can keep making an impact by drawing fouls when he gets playing time. Last season, Shannon had a free-throw rate (FTr) of .410, which ranked second on the team behind Julius Randle. To tap into his raw scoring talent while working within his new NBA role, Shannon will need to keep getting to the free-throw line.

Shannon’s playtype data showcased the trait well. According to NBA.com stats, Shannon drew a foul on 20.8% of his transition possessions, which was among the league’s best for his position group.

The question remains why it matters so much that Shannon keeps thriving in transition.

It ultimately comes down to Shannon’s inability to score with his right hand and how it can affect his halfcourt scoring. Shannon clearly favors his dominant left hand.

Left-handed players’ tendencies are naturally easier to recognize because there are fewer of them than right-handed players. However, Shannon’s reliance is a real concern.

On media day, Shannon was asked about what he worked on this summer. “Finishing, with my right hand,” said Shannon. “I improved that a lot. It was a big start to my summer. For my first full month of training, it was all right-handed stuff.”

Shannon has put in the work, and he’s incredibly talented on his rim attacks. But if he doesn’t showcase it in-game this season, when will he?

This upcoming season will give Shannon the chance to round out his game with more consistent three-point shooting, improved defense, and a knack for drive-and-kick offense. Eventually, if he doesn’t improve his right-hand usage and overall consistency game to game, he won’t have a rotational spot with the Timberwolves. It already appears that he is in a battle with Jaylen Clark, Joan Beringer, and even Trey Lyles for the final rotation role.

Terrence Shannon Jr. may earn rotation minutes as an injury sub throughout the year, and there’s always opportunity for minutes in the back of Minnesota’s rotation. Still, if Shannon does not find a way to impact winning basketball for the Timberwolves this season, when will he? Shannon can use his individualized skill set to eat minutes for the Wolves in the regular season, but how much impact can he make?