While the last few games didn’t mean much for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff standings as they were cemented in the sixth spot, there were positives to take from them. One of those was the play and scoring from Terrence Shannon Jr.
Better late than never for the 25-year-old. Expected to play a fairly large role to begin the season, instead, TSJ provided little impact, didn't receive a lot of minutes, got hurt and was out for a while, and was in and out of the rotation once he returned.
His play to end the season is reminiscent of his performances against the Oklahoma City Thunder in last year’s Western Conference finals. Against the Denver Nuggets in the opening round, Chris Finch should utilize him in what should be an ideal matchup for the second-year player.
Shannon has made a clear case for playoff minutes in the last three games
For one thing, Shannon has proven that he can perform in the postseason. Finally inserted into the playoff rotation in Game 3 of the conference finals, he scored 35 points in 37 minutes over the final three outings. That’s nearly a point per minute, and he also got to the foul line 12 times (making all 12).Â
TSJ had a similar run over the last three regular season games for Minnesota, albeit while playing more minutes. Again, Shannon nearly averaged a point per minute, scoring 82 in 94 minutes. After two excellent shooting performances, his last game saw him miss all seven 3-pointers, but he lived at the foul line (14-of-16).
While the Nuggets are a potent offense (first in offensive rating), they don’t necessarily play fast, ranking 20th in pace. A lot of their offense runs through Nikola Jokic. Furthermore, the Nuggets rank 21st in transition defense. Playing someone like Shannon would put more pressure on Denver because he speeds up Minnesota’s offense.Â
Getting to the foul line was something he did frequently in college at Illinois. Sunday’s regular season finale was reminiscent of that, and TSJ could get some early team fouls on the Nuggets to start the second quarter if inserted into the game (especially if Peyton Watson, arguably Denver’s best perimeter defender, is unavailable).
Overall, it’s been a disappointing season for Shannon. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker moving on to the Atlanta Hawks, it was assumed he would have a larger role. The season isn’t over yet, and Finch needs to see if the 27th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft can continue his momentum from the last three outings.