After Nickeil Alexander-Walker left in free agency, Terrence Shannon Jr. was expected to take on a significant amount of his minutes. Five games in, it's been a mixed bag for TSJ. He is averaging 18 minutes, 4.4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 33.3/44.4/66.7 shooting splits.
Shannon was fantastic during the Minnesota Timberwolves' season opener, pouring in 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists while closing the game. This prompted me to write an extremely positive article on Shannon, and I still very much believe in him.
However, for Shannon to get his season back on track, he has to remember what makes him great in the first place, and that's his elite finishing. Likewise, the Wolves need to utilize his skill set.
Can Shannon make a well-rounded impact? Most definitely. Still, his elite finishing and shot creation will always be his bread and butter. Amid a 2-3 start and navigating Anthony Edwards' injury, Shannon leaning into his typical playstyle would help the Wolves.
Terrence Shannon Jr. knows what he has to do
Before Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Shannon openly discussed that he could be more aggressive.
Terrence Shannon Jr. at shootaround today: "They've been on me a lot, I've been being too passive a lot the beginning of the season. I got to be more aggressive, look for my shot first, then pass. Got to get back to attacking in transition."
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) October 29, 2025
While he didn't play great in the Lakers game, it's an encouraging sign that Shannon is aware that his aggression needs to improve. I expect him to figure something out during this stretch without Edwards.
Despite not attacking the rim very well, there's a lot to like with Shannon's season so far. Most notably, Shannon is making the right reads as a passer, and he's hitting his 3-pointers at an efficient rate.
Regardless, what made Shannon such a promising prospect and why he can truly become a high-level contributor is shot creation. Shannon's rare blend of blazing speed and bruising strength jumps off the screen.
Shannon and the Wolves must play to his strengths
Stats through five games always have to be taken with a grain of salt. However, it's not nothing that Shannon is averaging fewer rim attempts despite playing 7.4 more minutes. Additionally, per databallr, his efficiency at the rim has plummeted from 68.8 percent to 42.9 percent.
Shannon is driving 1.6 times more per game; however, he's passing 17 percent more than last year. He has posted a 15.8 assist percentage, which is great. Again, though, Shannon's ability to score at the rim is his main strength.
Whether it's having him spot-up or giving him more playmaking duties, Shannon is being used too much like Alexander-Walker. Part of this falls on Chris Finch, and part of this falls on Shannon not playing to his own strengths. While Shannon was hyped up as NAW's replacement, their different players, and that's fine.
Especially without Edwards, TSJ needs to play like himself and not Alexander-Walker.