Terrence Shannon Jr. needs to show growth in key area to earn a new role

Amid the need for a power forward, the Minnesota Timberwolves might opt for some left-field options, as Tim Connelly put it. Terrence Shannon Jr. could be one of these options. Sure, he's a bit undersized, at 6-foot-6, but he's a sturdy 215 pounds and a great athlete. As such, this unconventional use of Shannon could pay off. 

This isn't just mindless speculation either; on a recent episode of his podcast, Jon Krawczynski discussed the possibility of Shannon being the starting power forward on opening night.

Make no mistake, though, Shannon is a natural wing, and there could be some sizable growing pains with him being moved up to the four, especially if he's a starter. Shannon has shown promise on offense, but he only truly thrives with the ball in his hands. More concerningly, though, is his defense.

Frankly, Shannon didn't defend at a high-level last season. Chris Finch somewhat famously called out Shannon for game-plan mistakes and poor defense before Game 6 of the Timberwolves' first-round series. While he responded to Finch's challenge with a stellar two-way Game 6, this remains a clear area of improvement for the third-year player.

Shannon's off-ball engagement was a major issue last year. He was often out of position, struggled to rotate, didn't navigate screens well, didn't force turnovers, and wasn't active on the glass. If Shannon does play a power forward role, his defense must sharpen up.

Shannon's defense is an undeniable area of growth

Not all hope should be lost, though; Shannon has all the physical tools needed to be a plus defender. And as noted, it wouldn't be totally out of the ordinary for a 6-foot-6 player to thrive as a forward. He also did show some solid physicality as an on-ball defender, which could help make this transition reasonable. 

Plainly, though, Shannon is starting from a pretty low point defensively. Last season, he ranked in the 21st percentile for defensive estimated plus-minus per Dunks & Threes. Minnesota's defense was also 13.9 points per 100 possessions worse with Shannon on the court per Cleaning the Glass -- a number that ranks in the second percentile.  

Shannon's erratic defense was a key reason why he didn't play more last season. As such, if the Wolves view him as a key piece of the solution to their power forward void, Shannon will need to improve mightily as a help-side defender. 

In addition to providing disruptive defense off the ball and physical defense on the ball, rebounding is an essential duty for a power forward. And you guessed it, Shannon needs to improve as a rebounder. According to Databallr, Shannon ranked in the 14th percentile for defensive rebounding percentage.

Outside of his physical gifts, Shannon's flashes of on-ball defense are a plus. It's also worth noting that Shannon fared better as an on-ball defender against forwards than guards. He held opposing forwards to 44.4 percent shooting from the field -- 8.5 percent lower than what he held opposing guards to. Undoubtedly, this is a promising sign for his ability to shift up. 

If all things go right, I think Shannon could be one of the Wolves' best internal power forward options, but a lot needs to go right for him.

Shannon will likely only be part of the Timberwolves' power forward solution (if at all). Regardless, Shannon's defensive habits, particularly off the ball, will have to improve across the board for him to earn more minutes and especially be trusted in a new role. 

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