Jaden McDaniels has widely been penciled in as the Minnesota Timberwolves' starting power forward since the LaMelo Ball trade. However, it's starting to seem more likely that he stays at his natural small forward position.
First, during an interview with Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, Chris Finch said, “In my mind’s eye, I don’t see that as a starting lineup with him (McDaniels) there (at the power forward).” Then, in an interview with Dan Barreiro of KFAN, Tim Connelly said they have some internal options they are confident in that might be "left-fieldish" to some.
If the Timberwolves do opt for a left-fieldish internal option at the four, Terrence Shannon Jr. makes the most sense to me. Ayo Dosunmu is too undersized. Joan Beringer is an illogical frontcourt partner for Rudy Gobert due to floor spacing reasons. Jaylen Clark's lack of offense could also be problematic, though; I anticipate him earning a bigger role. Trey Lyles' hypothetical skill set as a floor spacer is interesting, but he was literally out of the NBA last season.
Shannon is a bit undersized at 6-foot-6, but has plenty of strength and athleticism to guard up. Offensively, the Wolves would be sacrificing some shooting with Shannon replacing Ayo, but they'd still have solid floor spacing along with a ton of creation, speed and athleticism.
Needless to say, though, starting a natural wing as a true forward is risky business for a team with title aspirations.
Why playing Terrence Shannon Jr. at the four could work
Some astute observers have pointed out that Shannon has a similar build to Miles Bridges, who, of course, played alongside Ball in Charlotte. Admittedly, this information surprised me, but it certainly bodes well for Shannon's potential to play at the four.
Beyond that, according to Cleaning the Glass, Shannon actually spent 23 percent of his minutes as a power forward last season and 42 percent of his minutes as a power forward during his rookie season. The results were mixed: during his rookie season, the Wolves had a plus-15.8 net rating with Shannon at the four, but last season, they had a minus-18.4 net rating in such minutes.
Furthermore, according to NBA.com, Shannon guarded opposing forwards for 40.7 percent of his minutes last year, and he held them to 44.4 percent shooting -- a clear improvement from his 52.9 defensive field goal percentage against opposing guards.
Defense was a mixed bag for Shannon last season, but his physicality on the ball was a clear plus. Given this, paired with his 215-pound frame, Shannon could feasibly handle guarding opposing fours. Comparatively, McDaniels is listed at just 185 pounds, so it's fair to wonder how he'd handle guarding physical forwards despite his defensive brilliance.
Now part of this could be matchup-dependent, which is something Finch mentioned during his interview with Hine. In any event, though, it sure seems likely that Shannon will get sizable minutes at the four.
Reading between the lines, it sounds like the Timberwolves prefer to keep McDaniels as a point-of-attack defender -- a role in which he's had a ton of success playing.
Now part of this could be matchup-dependent, which is something Finch mentioned during his interview with Hine. In any event, though, it sure seems likely that Shannon will get sizable minutes at the four.
The risks of playing Shannon at the four
With all that being said, there are still valid questions about how Shannon would handle being a four.
Sure, the small sample size of him defending forwards is promising, but can he really handle this duty on a nightly basis? It's also worth noting that he struggled as an off-ball defender last season, which could be problematic if he earns a bigger role.
Shannon also hasn't proven to be a good rebounder. Notably, he averaged just 1.1 boards per game last year and ranked in the 14th percentile for defensive rebounding percentage per Databallr.
Without a doubt, this should be a cause for concern regarding his projection to play the four. As should the simple fact that it's not his natural position. In an increasingly position-less NBA, I'm a bit less concerned about this. Still, it would be a sizable adjustment for a third-year player who, frankly, has been an erratic player thus far in his career.
Barring a signing or trade for a starting-caliber power forward, if the Timberwolves don't want to start McDaniels at the four, Shannon is their best option. Again, though, it would be far from a risk-free move.
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