Coming into the season, Minnesota Timberwolves’ 26-year-old third-year wing Terrence Shannon Jr. needed to live up to expectations.
However, the Wolves haven’t always put him into favorable situations. In his first two seasons, Chris Finch mostly put him in the corner in the team's halfcourt offense.
But that has changed heading into the 2026-27 season. Shannon has seen an increased role on the ball. According to DataBallr, Shannon has an On-Ball rate (percentage of time a player possesses the ball while on the court) of 28.3%. That's a massive uptick from his previous season rates of 14.8% in 2025-26 and 8.1% in 2024-25.
As a draft prospect, it was clear Shannon performed best as the primary scoring option in his two seasons at the University of Illinois. The reality is that it's difficult for non-lottery picks to get that kind of usage in the NBA. Shannon will need to get comfortable with a smaller role.
Shannon showed flashes in this new corner role. He could get to the rim across the baseline and knock down the occasional corner three-pointer. Still, there was a lot to be desired.
How the Wolves use him is key. Shannon showed flashes of his upside in his first two seasons. Chris Finch knew that to get Shannon involved, he'd need to draw up after-timeout possessions and individualized actions to get him comfortable. Often, these sets were tailored around Shannon driving with his dominant left hand.
Finch has used the same concept of specialization tactics for Shannon to begin the season. The crucial difference this season is that Shannon has been operating more as a possession initiator.
The key to Shannon initiating is that it has a domino effect on usage. If the Timberwolves want to get LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, or Anthony Edwards off an off-ball screening action, someone has to initiate the possession.
When Shannon brings the ball up the court, the burden shifts off the other ball-handlers. However, it also gives Shannon a purpose.
The biggest part is that Shannon doesn’t have to be a passer here. For example, let’s say the Timberwolves lean into stagger pindown screens for one of their scoring threats and the defense stifles it. Nothing stops Shannon from using that expanded middle-court space to drive.
Minnesota showed that perfectly on one of its baseline out-of-bounds sets against the Orlando Magic.
Chris Finch and TJ Shannon have struck a balance. Shannon has more freedom, but Finch has kept him within a structure. On many of these possessions, Shannon is not the primary scoring threat. Often, the Timberwolves are trying to get someone else a bucket.
Shannon's freedom comes from his ability to freelance and create unpredictability.
The Timberwolves had a lot of success with Mike Conley as their primary initiator. However, if a possession broke down, it was hard for them to toggle to something else.
Shannon’s skillset is still developing. He has the athletic tools and raw abilities. It’s just a matter of finding his own consistency. When he has a clearer idea of what he needs to do in a possession, tailored to what he knows he can do, Minnesota’s offense ultimately has more opportunities to succeed.
Shannon has shown this off through his own drives and kicks, or dump-offs.
Anthony Edwards' knee injury is unfortunate. However, it only gives Shannon more on-ball freedom.
The Timberwolves have been lucky enough to be one of the league's healthiest teams over the last handful of seasons. Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were iron men for them. It’s a luxury, but it hasn't allowed the Wolves to explore their roster's usage.
TJ Shannon is dealing with an injury and has missed the last two games. Still, it’s a good time to build consistency in his new role while Edwards is expected to miss time.
The upside is that Shannon isn't expected to go back to a corner role like in years past. Shannon can get more reps on the ball during Edwards' absence, and he can also fall back into his new role when Edwards returns.
TJ Shannon has always had the talent to be a successful NBA player. It has just been about finding his role. Chris Finch and the coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for working through this with Shannon and trying to find the best route to success. Ultimately, Shannon has had to deliver in big minutes for the Timberwolves to begin the season.
Coming into the season, Minnesota Timberwolves’ 26-year-old third-year wing Terrence Shannon Jr. needed to live up to expectations. However, the Wolves haven’t always put him into favorable situations. In his first two seasons, Chris Finch mostly put him in the corner in the team's halfcourt offense. But that has changed heading into the 2026-27 season. Shannon has seen an increased role on the ball. According to DataBallr, Shannon has an On-Ball rate (percentage of time a player possesses the ball while on the court) of 28.3%. That's a massive uptick from his previous season rates of 14.8% in 2025-26 and 8.1% in 2024-25. As a draft prospect, it was clear Shannon performed best as the primary scoring option in his two seasons at the University of Illinois. The reality is that it's difficult for non-lottery picks to get that kind of usage in the NBA. Shannon will need to get comfortable with a smaller role. Shannon showed flashes in this new corner role. He could get to the rim across the baseline and knock down the occasional corner three-pointer. Still, there was a lot to be desired. How the Wolves use him is key. Shannon showed flashes of his upside in his first two seasons. Chris Finch knew that to get Shannon involved, he'd need to draw up after-timeout possessions and individualized actions to get him comfortable. Often, these sets were tailored around Shannon driving with his dominant left hand. Finch has used the same concept of specialization tactics for Shannon to begin the season. The crucial difference this season is that Shannon has been operating more as a possession initiator. The key to Shannon initiating is that it has a domino effect on usage. If the Timberwolves want to get LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, or Anthony Edwards off an off-ball screening action, someone has to initiate the possession. When Shannon brings the ball up the court, the burden shifts off the other ball-handlers. However, it also gives Shannon a purpose. The biggest part is that Shannon doesn’t have to be a passer here. For example, let’s say the Timberwolves lean into stagger pindown screens for one of their scoring threats and the defense stifles it. Nothing stops Shannon from using that expanded middle-court space to drive. Minnesota showed that perfectly on one of its baseline out-of-bounds sets against the Orlando Magic. Chris Finch and TJ Shannon have struck a balance. Shannon has more freedom, but Finch has kept him within a structure. On many of these possessions, Shannon is not the primary scoring threat. Often, the Timberwolves are trying to get someone else a bucket. Shannon's freedom comes from his ability to freelance and create unpredictability. The Timberwolves had a lot of success with Mike Conley as their primary initiator. However, if a possession broke down, it was hard for them to toggle to something else. Shannon’s skillset is still developing. He has the athletic tools and raw abilities. It’s just a matter of finding his own consistency. When he has a clearer idea of what he needs to do in a possession, tailored to what he knows he can do, Minnesota’s offense ultimately has more opportunities to succeed. Shannon has shown this off through his own drives and kicks, or dump-offs. Anthony Edwards' knee injury is unfortunate. However, it only gives Shannon more on-ball freedom. The Timberwolves have been lucky enough to be one of the league's healthiest teams over the last handful of seasons. Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were iron men for them. It’s a luxury, but it hasn't allowed the Wolves to explore their roster's usage. TJ Shannon is dealing with an injury and has missed the last two games. Still, it’s a good time to build consistency in his new role while Edwards is expected to miss time. The upside is that Shannon isn't expected to go back to a corner role like in years past. Shannon can get more reps on the ball during Edwards' absence, and he can also fall back into his new role when Edwards returns. TJ Shannon has always had the talent to be a successful NBA player. It has just been about finding his role. Chris Finch and the coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for working through this with Shannon and trying to find the best route to success. Ultimately, Shannon has had to deliver in big minutes for the Timberwolves to begin the season.