Terrence Shannon Jr.’s first stretch of the 2025-26 season was derailed before it ever really got going, and the biggest culprit was physical. An abductor hallucis strain in his left foot cost him nearly two months and almost certainly dragged down his play when he was on the floor.
The difference once he came back in late February was obvious. Shannon Jr. climbed to 6.7 points per game, shot 56.9 percent on two-point attempts, and turned the ball over far less often, with his assist-to-turnover ratio jumping from 0.86 before the injury to 2.75 after his return.
Even with the foot issue clearly affecting him, that wasn’t the whole story. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch made it plain after the season that the way Shannon Jr. was used mattered, too.
"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."
Minnesota gave Shannon Jr. more responsibility late in the year and into the playoffs, and he answered with a 24-point Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets while Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu were all out injured.
That kind of usage is the obvious path to getting more out of him, but it’s not a simple fix. With LaMelo Ball now on the roster, Shannon Jr.’s chances to handle the ball will probably be more limited. That makes his work away from the ball even more important, something he addressed himself 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.”
That may be the real swing skill for him. Shannon Jr. is going to have to fit next to Edwards and Ball, the two players who will draw the most defensive attention, and his ability to add value without dominating the possession could decide how successful his season is.
The Wolves can still help him by shaping the offense better. More ball movement would keep Shannon Jr. from getting stuck in the corner, and a faster pace should suit a roster that, outside of Rudy Gobert, would benefit from playing up-tempo. Shannon Jr. in particular looks built for that style, with his straight-line drives and ability to race the other way.
A natural blueprint is Donte DiVincenzo, who remains on the roster while recovering from a torn Achilles. DiVincenzo’s energy and effort plays have drawn constant praise from the coaching staff, and his secondary playmaking is another trait Shannon Jr. can borrow. DiVincenzo can move the ball quickly, attack when needed, and space the floor with his three-point shot.
Shannon Jr. isn’t the same kind of spacer, but he has shown enough touch to matter from deep. He’s a career 39.3 percent shooter from three, including 40.8 percent last season.
The Wolves are also dealing with a thinner rotation after trading away Naz Reid and Julius Randle and bringing back one player in LaMelo Ball. That puts even more on Shannon Jr.’s plate. Minnesota may need his scoring, his pace, and even his ability to help cover a possible hole at power forward.
If he can keep building on what he showed after the injury while becoming much sharper off the ball, the Timberwolves should have a better shot at pushing past the ceiling they’ve hit in the last three postseasons.
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For a team coming off a playoff appearance, the trip was a reminder that chemistry matters as much as talent. Minnesota has plenty of reasons to believe in its core, but the bigger question now is whether that tighter feel translates once the season starts and the games begin to count again. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Just Lost Minnesotas Last Real Excuse
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What makes the next stretch so interesting is how little margin for error remains. Minnesota does not have a deep stash of draft assets to keep patching holes if this version of the team stalls, and the pressure around Edwards is only going to rise if the offense does not look right. For a player the franchise clearly wants to center its future on, the question is no longer whether the Wolves believe in him. It is whether they can finally give him enough to make that belief matter. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Simmons Gives The Wolves A Fit Question Fans Cant Ignore
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Minnesotas issue, though, is less about what Simmons can do in a vacuum and more about how he would fit into what already exists. The Wolves already have size concerns and spacing questions to sort through, and any serious look at Simmons has to account for where he would play if Jaden McDaniels or Joan Beringer run into foul trouble, or how awkward the alignment can get when Rudy Gobert is on the floor at the same time. That is the kind of roster puzzle that makes this possibility feel intriguing and tricky all at once. [Read more 🡒]