Terrence Shannon Jr. makes his case for solid spot in Timberwolves rotation

For most of last season, the Timberwolves played an eight-man rotation when everyone was healthy. It was hard for the younger players on the roster to crack that rotation, and they would usually play significant minutes only when one of those top eight players was injured.

The exit of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and his 25.3 minutes per game, to the Atlanta Hawks this offseason meant a larger slice of the minutes pie was now available to younger players like Terrence Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham and Jaylen Clark. Coach Chris Finch has also discussed the need to expand his rotation to nine or 10 players on a given night.

To hear Finch discuss it after Tuesday’s practice, it sounds as if Shannon has latched onto that eighth spot in the rotation thanks to his postseason performance and how he has attacked the preseason.

“I think he solidified that eighth spot last year in the playoffs,” Finch said Tuesday. “... Those last spots are always going to be situational. We’ve seen what Jaylen can do on a nightly basis, too. But between those guys, Joan [Beringer] and Rob, it’ll all be situational. And of course, injuries are going to help determine some of that.”

More than any Wolves player, Shannon is wired to play in transition on offense. This is a stylistic shift the Wolves are trying to make — to go from one of the slowest-paced teams in the NBA to middle of the pack, at the least.

“That’s where I’m at my best, in transition,” Shannon said. “In an open gym, everybody loads up or tries when I get the ball. So I’ve been just working on different parts of my game, learning other ways to score, but that’s something I look to do, get the ball up, get stops and push it in transition.”

Dillingham still figures prominently in what the Wolves will be doing at point guard, so expect at least a nine-man rotation to open the season. It’s also not automatic that Shannon (4.3 points in 10.6 minutes last season) will take every minute Alexander-Walker is leaving behind. Dillingham also can facilitate the Wolves playing more with pace in the open floor than they did a season ago.

“We saw that a ton last year in practice. It’s what we really need him to do more of,” Finch said. “... The third team that he was on early on, even in training camp, didn’t have a natural point guard. He was able to take over and make the plays.”

Shannon averaged just one assist per game, but on a per possession basis, he ranked in the 72nd percentile for assist percentage among forwards, according to the website Cleaning the Glass. That means he flashed above-average playmaking for his position in limited time last season. With an expanded role, those raw numbers could go up, and his ability to get to the rim quickly could open things up for his teammates.

As for defense, Shannon said working out with Anthony Edwards this summer sharpened is ability to play on-ball defense. The team will have him a lot in “chase” roles on defense, meaning he will track another team’s shooting threats as they move off the ball around the perimeter.

“I’m gonna be a big chase guy this year, chasing shooters around, so just trying to get better with that,” Shannon said. “I can get better everywhere defensively, but just me putting in the effort, playing hard, that’ll help me a lot.”