Timberwolves get missing piece in Terrence Shannon: Instant reaction, analysis

The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off one of their best seasons in franchise history. Earning their second-most wins in a season ever with 56 and advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years, the Wolves proved they are here to stay as one of the best-built teams in the association.

Despite how bulletproof they seemed to be all season, Minnesota's run came crashing down one round before the Finals due to one key problem: on-ball scoring. Anthony Edwards is of course this team's best all-around player and he can score in bunches. But against the Mavericks, the Timberwolves got inconsistent offensive production from the rest of their roster.

Due to their financial restrictions, one of the best ways to add a solid scorer for Minnesota was always going to be through the draft. Over the last several seasons, the Wolves have opted to select longer-term projects in the draft, choosing to rely on their already top-heavy roster. But this year, they needed to lean into a more league-ready player that will have a chance to earn real minutes from day one, and that is precisely what they got in University of Illinois forward Terrence Shannon Junior.

Shannon brings an extremely developed offensive repertoire. He averaged 23.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in his senior season at Illinois, and he may be able to help this team reach another level in just his rookie year.

Minnesota added even more shot creation with Shannon

Some will look at Terrence's age and consider it a negative. Shannon will be 24 in just over a month, but that is not always a bad thing. In fact, it seems that year in and year out we concern ourselves with older prospects not working out, when the reality is that there is far more to be optimistic about.

That is certainly true for Shannon. After going through a difficult legal situation this past season and being acquitted of all charges, Terrence put his talent on display at Illinois. Using his terrific athleticism and overall well-rounded game at 6-foot-6, he showed the world that he was an NBA-ready prospect that could contribute in the league right away.

In the end, that is the exact type of prospect the Timberwolves had been looking for. They needed more production on the wing, especially with the looming reality of Kyle Anderson potentially leaving. But they filled that need while also getting a player who can theoretically join the rotation right away.

It appears that Timberwolves President Tim Connelly has done it again.