Second-year wing Terrence Shannon Jr. is undoubtedly poised for a bigger role this upcoming season. TSJ showcased his impressive three-level scoring abilities during his limited minutes as a rookie, including in the playoffs. This impressive play continued in the NBA Summer League, where Shannon averaged 22.7 points. He also showed more playmaking chops in summer league, averaging 5 assists.
With elite athleticism, Shannon thrives as a transition scorer, and his ability to create shots benefits him in the half-court. This, paired with his high energy on the defensive end of the floor, makes him an ideal replacement for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. However, Shannon must develop as a spot-up 3-point shooter to fully maximize his minutes.
Shannon's spot-up shooting will be vital to his role
Having an elite athlete and capable shot creator like TSJ is always welcome. For the Wolves, this will make him a much-needed spark plug off the bench. Nevertheless, when playing alongside Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle specifically, Shannon’s spot-up shooting abilities will be crucial. Even when playing with some of the Wolves' bench crew, including Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Rob Dillingham, Shannon will need to spot-up on offense a good amount. This will require the Wolves to use Shannon a bit differently.
In transition settings, Shannon’s athleticism and scoring abilities will still be utilized a ton. Likewise, Shannon’s shot-creation prowess will still be a part of his offensive game. Minnesota will also look to use him as a secondary ball handler if his playmaking jump is real. The 6-foot-6 wing's ability to contribute to multiple aspects of the game will benefit him. Regardless, Shannon will often be used in off-ball situations as a spot-up 3-point shooter.
Notably, Shannon shot 34.6 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s on 26 attempts as a rookie in the regular season. He shot 50 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s in the playoffs; however, this was only on six attempts. Of Shannon’s 39 total 3-point attempts (regular season and playoffs), 82 percent of them were spot-up attempts. This number will likely stay the same, but the volume will go up with a bigger role.
Shannon will need to develop a bit more consistency as a spot-up shooter and be comfortable with this role. It’s fair to wonder how consistent this part of Shannon’s game will become immediately, as it wasn't a key part of his arsenal in college. However, the importance of Shannon’s spot-up shooting couldn’t be clearer. Ultimately, for Shannon to maximize his impact, he’ll need to pair his gifts as a shot creator and athlete with dependable spot-up shooting.