How Timberwolves Can Better Set Up Terrence Shannon Jr. for Success

One large reason for Terrence Shannon Jr.'s poor 2025-26 play was multiple injuries, most notably an abductor hallucis strain in his left foot, which caused him to miss nearly two months and very likely negatively impacted his abilities on the court at the beginning of the season.

When Shannon Jr. returned from injury in late February, his numbers immediately improved. His scoring rose to 6.7 points per game while his efficiency from two-point range rebounded massively to 56.9 percent. The assist-to-turnover ratio also improved immensely from 0.86 before the injury to 2.75 once Shannon Jr. returned.

It's clear the foot injury was greatly impacting Shannon Jr.'s ability to be productive on the court, but it was not the only reason for his struggles, as Timberwolves Head coach Chris Finch explained after the season.

"What we learned with TJ is he's definitely got to have the ball in his hands," Finch said. "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."

Shannon Jr. got the ball much more often late in the season and in the playoffs, including a 24-point Game 6 performance against the Denver Nuggets on a night when all three of Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu were out injured.

How Timberwolves could deploy Terrence Shannon Jr. in 2026-27

While getting Shannon Jr. the ball more is something the Timberwolves can and should do, it is also not that simple. With LaMelo Ball's addition to the roster, the amount of on-ball opportunities will likely be somewhat limited. Shannon Jr. will also need to improve his off-ball game, an idea he spoke about in his end-of-season interview.

“I feel like I can be better off the ball," Shannon Jr. said. "I just gotta find a way to adjust and do what I can to help the team win. Being on the ball wasn’t really my role for this team. Just playing off the ball, knowing when to cut, knowing when to set off ball screens, it’s something I gotta get better at.”

Shannon Jr.'s ability to provide value off the ball will likely be the determining factor in whether or not he has a successful season. Like it was a season ago, Shannon Jr.'s role likely won't be fully on-the-ball, as he will need to find his role next to both Edwards and Ball, who will garner the most defensive attention.

For the Wolves' part, they can still put Shannon Jr. in a better spot to succeed even if the on-ball possessions are limited. Maximizing the amount of ball movement in the offense will prevent Shannon Jr.'s role from devolving into standing in the corner while getting the ball in his hand in advantageous situations.

Minnesota's reconstructed roster should also have the ability to play with much more pace than they have in seasons past. Other than Rudy Gobert, the entire Timberwolves roster would benefit from playing an up-tempo style, especially Shannon Jr., who thrives on beating the other team down the court with straight-line drives to the rim.

One player Shannon Jr. can model his game after is Donte DiVicenzo, who remains a core member of the Timberwolves roster as he rehabs his torn Achilles. DiVicenzo's high motor and willingness to make effort plays have been praised countless times by the Timberwolves coaching staff and should be something Shannon Jr. can add to his game.

The other aspect of DiVincenzo's game that Shannon Jr. can replicate is the secondary playmaking. DiVincenzo is the type of player who, without the ball, generates a high amount of extra ball movement with a willingness to quickly make the right pass, attack the defense with the ball when necessary, and an above-average three-point shot to keep defenders out of the paint.

While Shannon Jr. is not nearly the same level of spacer as DiVincenzo, he has shown the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc when left open. He is a career 39.3 percent shooter from three, including 40.8 percent last season.

On top of DiVincenzo's injuries, the Wolves traded away two rotation players, Naz Reid and Julius Randle, and received one back in LaMelo Ball, meaning the Timberwolves will be relying on Shannon Jr. more than they ever have next season. Minnesota will need Shannon Jr.'s scoring, his willingness to push the pace, and might potentially use him to fill the void at power forward.

With a roster much thinner than in years past, the Wolves will need Shannon Jr. to play as he did in the second half last year, while becoming a much better off-ball player on top of that. If he can take that next step, the Timberwolves will have a much better chance of breaking through the ceiling they've set for themselves the past three postseasons.

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