After Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo suffered devastating injuries, it was clear that Terrence Shannon Jr. would be counted on to play a bigger role. Given the stakes, this was risky business as the regular season had been a topsy-turvy one for the second-year wing. In Game 5, he notched 15 points in 14 minutes, but Chris Finch openly said that Shannon's defense needed to improve.
"It starts with gotta be ready, he’s gotta be engaged, he’s got to be fully committed to that side of the ball... the only way I can clean him up is to sit him on the bench, right? That’s the only way I can clean it up. He knows what we need from him right now. So he’s got to be ready, and he’s got to be ready to execute defensively, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t be a good defender with his body type and athleticism," Finch said regarding Shannon's defense.Â
Ayo Dosunmu would miss Game 6 with a calf injury, which suddenly catapulted Shannon into the starting lineup. And with the chance to close out the series, Shannon responded with a stellar 24-point game, all while upping his defensive engagement. His two-way impact was without a doubt one of the main reasons why the Wolves won 110-98.
After Finch openly said his defense needed to improve, he showed the ultimate trust in Shannon by closing the game with him. A heck of a response if you ask me.Â
Finch's quote was brutally honest. It rubbed some people the wrong way. However, he also knows how to bring the best out of his players, and I think that was a big part of why he said what he said.
Terrence Shannon Jr. had a monster two-way performance in Game 6
Shannon's 24 points made him the team's second-leading scorer behind Jaden McDaniels, who scored 32 points! Eight of Shannon's nine field goals were in the paint. He attacked the rim relentlessly. His speed and athleticism were central to pressuring the Nuggets' lackluster defense and ultimately why they were able to close out the series. Â
After the game, Finch even candidly admitted that he should have used Shannon on the ball more during the season.
“We’ve learned, with [TJ Shannon], he’s gotta have the ball in his hands. Silly me, we played him out of the corner most of the season, but he’s way better with the ball in his hands at the top of the floor," Finch said.
Defensively is where Shannon truly responded to Finch's challenge, though. He was engaged off the ball, grabbing two steals, he rotated well, and didn't make any notable mistakes. On the ball, he stood his guy up and made it tough for the Nuggets to score.Â
Simply put, he did all the little things well in addition to the massive scoring boost he provided, and it's why Finch trusted him to play 25 minutes.
Shannon's two-way upside has been clear since he's been drafted, and it looks like he's ready to put everything together at the perfect time.Â
The Wolves will likely be without Ant for at least the start of the next series against the San Antonio Spurs. As such, it will be crucial for Shannon to continue providing the Wolves with a scoring boost and remain engaged on defense.Â
Considering what Shannon just did in such a high-leverage situation, there's no reason why he can't continue to make a strong two-way impact.
Add us as a preferred source on Google