The Stakes: Winning the seventh- or eighth-man role.
Terrence Shannon Jr. wrapped up an injury-riddled sophomore campaign by once again showing signs of life in the playoffs. The pressure he put on defenses going downhill left head coach Chris Finch lamenting how he’d been used when healthy.
“We’ve learned, with [Shannon], he’s gotta have the ball in his hands,” Finch explained. “Silly me, we played him out of the corner most of the season, but he’s way better with the ball in his hands at the top of the floor.”
This assessment now comes across as an indictment.
Putting the rock in TSJ’s hands is no longer as feasible with Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu and Jonathan Kuminga ahead of him in the pecking order. With the Minnesota Timberwolves’ top-six—if not top-seven (Joan Beringer)—spots in the rotation locked up, Shannon needs to do more of the accessory work.
That doesn’t mean he has to live in the corner. It does mean he needs to hit his threes, make quicker decisions with the ball, consistently defend and compete for rebounds. If TSJ isn’t able to deliver on the first two items, Jaylen Clark overtaking him in the hierarchy will be the least of his worries. In that scenario, he could find himself fending off Cody Williams.