After his impressive performances earlier this month in Las Vegas, Terrence Shannon Jr. seems on the verge of making a significant impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the upcoming NBA season. Through the team's first four games, Minnesota was undefeated thanks to the contributions of Shannon Jr., Dillingham, and the presence of promising rookie Joan Beringer.
Timberwolves’ Terrence Shannon Jr. Announcement Brings Demands From Fans originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After his impressive performances earlier this month in Las Vegas, Terrence Shannon Jr. seems on the verge of making a significant impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the upcoming NBA season.
He participated in the NBA 2K26 Summer League, alongside several other players who appeared in games for the Wolves last season, including another second-year guard, Rob Dillingham.
Through the team's first four games, Minnesota was undefeated thanks to the contributions of Shannon Jr., Dillingham, and the presence of promising rookie Joan Beringer.
The 18-year-old Beringer had a strong debut game with seven blocked shots. Dillingham averaged over 17 points and 6.5 assists per game during his participation in the team's first four games.
However, Shannon Jr. performed exceptionally well, averaging 22.7 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game in 25.8 minutes per contest. That put him amongst the best of the best when it came to the Summer League in Vegas.
On Tuesday, the Timberwolves celebrated the news that their regular-season reserve earned a spot on the NBA's All-Summer League First Team.
"We're not surprised. Congrats, TJ," a caption said on the team's Instagram post.
Sacramento Kings rookie Nique Clifford, the Utah Jazz's Kyle Filipowski, the San Antonio Spurs' David Jones-Garcia, and Los Angeles Clippers' Jordan Mille were the other four players named to the team. Filipowski claimed the NBA Summer League MVP award.
Shannon Jr. also shared the post on his official Instagram Story as recognition that he received the honor. Timberwolves fans had much to say in their comments on social media, specifically about Shannon Jr.'s situation in the team's rotation.
"Soooo you gonna [expletive] start him or no?" one fan commented on Instagram.
Another Instagram commenter said, "He better get mins."
"He should be playing no less than 22 minutes a game," another fan wrote on the IG post.
"Cool, now play him and Rob and watch a dynasty form," a fan commented on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Better be a starter at the start of the season!" another X commenter said.
Another Timberwolves' social media post features a video of Shannon Jr. dunking during pre-game warm-ups, as well as some of his highlights from Summer League games. There's also a sound bite from Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, now an NBA analyst and commentator, saying he believes "sky's the limit" for the second-year player.
"It's just the beginning," a Timberwolves message said with the clip.
it’s just the beginning. 👀 https://t.co/83LnzeXVSGpic.twitter.com/rc6PxtDYUa
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) July 22, 2025
Shannon Jr. was a first-round pick for the Timberwolves in 2024 after playing college ball for Texas Tech and Illinois.
During his NBA rookie season, he averaged 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and an assist per game in 32 games. According to Basketball Reference, he also averaged 48.2 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range.
Fans saw him achieve a career-high 25 points in a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in February, and he was a key contributor in multiple playoff games off the bench. His Summer League performances further demonstrated his immense potential.
Many fans seem to be in favor of seeing the rising star Shannon Jr. receive more playing time. Some believe he should replace starting guard Mike Conley Jr. in the lineup. At 37, Conley is on the tail end of his NBA career, so a changing of the guard could significantly help the Wolves' chances to advance further in the West.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
