If there's one word I'd use to describe Terrence Shannon Jr.'s game, it's fearless. He attacks the rim with incredible force no matter who is there, and he proved he's not afraid of the momentwith a thrilling 24-point Game 6 performance to help clinch the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round series.
However, Shannon's Game 1 performance against the San Antonio Spurs was arguably a better display of his fearless mindset. With Anthony Edwards coming off the bench to manage his knee injury, Shannon started. In 34:50 minutes, he finished the night with 16 points and took eight shots at the rim. Shannon might not have been the highlight of Minnesota's 104-102 win, but he certainly played a quality role.
Playing against Victor Wembanyama was going to be difficult for Shannon's style of play, specifically. He had his shot blocked twice by Wemby in the first minute of the game. At halftime, Shannon shot just 2-for-7 from the field, but he never wavered, continuing to attack and ultimately notching 12 points in the second half. After the game, Shannon made it clear that he will continue going at Wemby.
“He (Wembanyama) gonna have to block it every time, I ain’t gonna stop going downhill. I told him that when he said a little something, after he blocked my second one. He gonna have to block it every time, man. I know he ain’t gonna block it every single time. I’m gonna dunk on him,” Shannon said.
To me, this quote embodies everything about this Timberwolves squad. They are supremely confident and have a relentless mentality regardless of who they're playing.
Shannon's fearless mindset embodies the Timberwolves' overall spirit
Other than Shannon's ferocious downhill attacking, his decision-making really stood out. Shannon was often empowered as the lead ball-handler, and he made the right reads. Sure, he only had one assist, but he had no turnovers, and none of his plays looked forced.
Overcoming Wembanyama's historically great rim protection will be a problem for the Wolves. Wemby racked up a playoff record 12 blocks and was genuinely dominant on defense.
The Wolves will have to lean on the 3-point shot a bit more than they did last series, but they can't abandon attacking the rim or be fearful of Wemby. Winning at the highest level involves a balanced shot diet, and that includes attacking the rack regardless of who is at the rim.
Luckily, Shannon and nobody on this team is fearful in any sense of the word.
To Shannon's point, Wemby can't block every single shot -- the Wolves will find ways to score against him, draw fouls, bring him out of the play, and perhaps he'll be called for goaltending.
For a second-year player who has been in and out of the rotation all season long, Shannon's confidence is admirable. Overall, he is giving the Wolves exactly what they need on the court and he is the perfect embodiment of the team's relentless spirit.
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