Why Terrence Shannon Jr. Could Be the Wolves' X-Factor in Closing Out Nuggets

Minnesota will need an unheralded player to step up in order to get past Denver.

Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) reacts after scoring a three-point shot against the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

We got our first look at the playoff Timberwolves without Anthony Edwards or Donte DiVincenzo on Monday night, and it resulted in a 125-113 Game 5 loss to the Nuggets. One player who might be key in Minnesota's chances of closing out Denver without their starting backcourt is Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon played 14 minutes off the bench on Monday night. He finished with 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting from the field, 2 of 4 from three and 1 of 1 from the free throw line. He added one rebound, one turnover and one foul.

"I thought [he played] really good offensively. Defensively, I think his first shift was full of a lot of game plan mistakes. I think we've got to clean that up for sure. Offensively, he's proven that he can be a weapon for us," Wolves head coach Chris Finch responded when asked about his performance after the game.

Edwards and DiVincenzo combined to average 41.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game in the regular season, so their production is not going to be replaced by just one player. Ayo Dosunmu has probably seen his role increase the most with both players out, but the Wolves will need more. He's currently averaging 7.0 more points per game than he did in the regular season, so that still leaves 34.0 points to replace.

Shannon dealt with injuries earlier this season, and he averaged 5.6 points per game. He flashed his potential in the final three games of the regular season with 27.3 points per game. It's obviously unrealistic for him to have that level of production in this series, but Minnesota might just need half of that.

From a pure numbers perspective, his scoring jump might be the easiest way for Minnesota to replace the substantial scoring production left behind from Edwards and DiVincenzo. Julius Randle had the ball in his hands more on Monday night, which should result in more offensive production, followed by the added scoring from Dosunmu, and you can quickly get up to the 41.0 points per game that was left behind.

Finch mentioned Shannon's defensive struggles, which have likely prevented him from becoming a mainstay in the rotation to begin with. Minnesota might not have an option. They need to find points somehow, and Shannon appears to be their best option. If he's able to find a scoring outburst in Game 6 or Game 7, that might be exactly what the Wolves need to close out the series.