Terrence Shannon Jr. enters the season at a real fork in the road. The Minnesota Timberwolves know he can do damage with the ball in his hands, and Chris Finch made that clear after Shannon dropped 24 points against the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. The problem is that the Wolves’ roster is already crowded with on-ball options, which makes a bigger role for Shannon harder to hand out unless he earns it.
That’s where the next step comes in. Shannon has already shown he can attack downhill and get to his pull-up game, but the production has not been efficient enough to make him an automatic fit for heavier usage.
More importantly, he has not yet proven he can consistently run offense for others. If he’s going to claim a real on-ball role, the scoring alone won’t be enough.
The playmaking piece is the swing skill. Shannon has a habit of getting tunnel vision, and he does not often look to organize the floor for teammates.
He is also heavily left-hand dominant, which can become a problem once defenses start keying in on him more aggressively. The numbers back up the concerns: Shannon posted a 1.58 assist-to-turnover ratio and ranked in the 28th percentile for playmaking versatility.
That matters because the Wolves already have enough creators that simply handing Shannon more touches would mean taking them from someone else. Ayo Dosunmu looks like the most obvious player to lose some of those reps if the team leans into Shannon more on the ball. But Dosunmu brings steadier decision-making and a 2.59 assist-to-turnover ratio, which makes him the safer bet as a floor general right now.
There is still a path for Shannon here. He’s entering his third year, and if his growth as a scorer is matched by real improvement as a passer and decision-maker, the Wolves could eventually give him the kind of on-ball responsibility he prefers. If not, he’ll likely stay in a more limited role, because Minnesota has other options ready to absorb those minutes.
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The Timberwolves spent the offseason reshaping the top of their roster after injuries and uneven play exposed enough flaws to force real change. Trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid for LaMelo Ball and signing Jonathan Kuminga gave Minnesota a different look in the starting group, one built less around familiarity and more around the idea that internal growth can clean up what went wrong a year ago.
Now the early pressure points are clear. Ball has to adjust to a role that asks him to fit next to Anthony Edwards rather than drive everything himself, while Kuminga is stepping into the power forward spot with the job of bringing more juice on both ends. Minnesota is banking on that combination, plus a sharper defensive commitment, to raise the floor of a lineup that still has plenty to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Could Face A Tough Rudy Gobert Call Sooner Than Expected
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Minnesotas decision on Gobert would not come lightly, but salary cap realities always have a way of forcing the issue. If Beringer keeps progressing and Kuminga settles in as more than a temporary solution, the Wolves could face a difficult call next offseason about whether to keep paying for an elite veteran center or pivot toward a younger, cheaper structure. For now, it is more of a planning exercise than a deadline, but it is the kind of roster question that can sneak up fast. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Suddenly Have One Big Problem Fans Will Gladly Take
The Timberwolves have spent much of the summer trying to answer the same question every contending team eventually faces: how do you feed enough mouths without dulling the edge of the ones who matter most? Anthony Edwards remains the centerpiece, but Minnesota now has a deeper mix of shot creators and versatile pieces around him, with Jaden McDaniels and LaMelo Ball adding to a group that can score in different ways. For once, the concern is less about finding enough talent and more about keeping it organized.
Jonathan Kumingas arrival helped settle an earlier frontcourt worry and gives Minnesota another useful option in a rotation that suddenly looks crowded in all the right places. The challenge now is figuring out how the offense can keep everybody engaged, and the answer may come from a quicker tempo that lets the Wolves spread touches around without forcing one player to carry too much. It is a nice problem to have, even if it still leaves the coaching staff with a few lineup puzzles to sort out. [Read more 🡒]