Monday night's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder could prove to be a defining moment of the season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. After going down by 25 points in the second half, the Wolves put together a stunning rally and eventually came out with an incredibly gutsy win by the end of overtime. In fact, it may have been the best win any NBA team has achieved this season. One of the biggest keys to Minnesota's victory was actually the play of their young guys, and Terrence Shannon Jr. in particular.
The Timberwolves rookies have had an interesting story this season. From the outset, they were put behind the eight ball due to the instant change of their expected role following the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. On draft night, Rob Dillingham and Shannon were both expected to be instant contributors due to their own unique talents. When a starter was traded a mere 72 hours before training camp began, all the expectations regarding the rookies changed overnight.
Now, for the last four months, we have slowly seen the process come together for this team as a whole, and that includes the vision for how these young players can make an impact on this team's performance. As Chris Finch has continued figuring out rotations and injuries have forced his hand to create bigger minutes roles for certain guys, we have seen Shannon and Dillingham's talents shine all the more. Monday night's win over the Thunder represented the pinnacle for Shannon's rookie season.
Terrence Shannon Jr. at OKC:
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) February 25, 2025
17-10-1-1-2, 7/10 FG, +12, W pic.twitter.com/VWGYMyIz3T
Terrence Shannon Jr. proved his value against the Thunder
It was arguably the best game of Terrence's pro career to this point, and he finished with a career-high 17 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Shannon made seven of his 10 shots and brought a physical brand of basketball to the floor on both sides. The way he was moving throughout the contest would make you believe he was a three or four-year veteran, not a rookie just trying to find his footing.
As we know, his age and readiness to play was one of the main reasons the Timberwolves drafted him in the second round last summer. Finch and the staff wanted a guy with some years under his belt, who could contribute at the NBA level right away. It took a minute for the aforementioned reasons, but Shannon is finally showing just why management wanted him, and why he was the steal of the 2024 draft.
All throughout the game against the Thunder, Terrence was driving with ferocity, using polished dribble moves and his physical frame to punish defenders. Anyone who watched the game noticed not only how fast but also how strong Shannon looked. As Dane Moore pointed out, some rookies come in with an obvious athleticism advantage, but rarely on the strength side of things. Terrence looked as strong as any tenured NBA player on Monday.
Timberwolves fans have to be grinning ear to ear after Shannon's performance against OKC. His two highest-scoring games of his rookie campaign thus far have come against the Thunder, and he has shown just what kind of a lift he can provide in games like this.