Minnesota Timberwolves need to wise up, play Terrence Shannon Jr.

Back in the summer, the 2024 NBA Draft took place, and the Illinois basketball team had a player selected in the first round.

The Illini haven’t had a first-round selection since Meyers Leonard in 2012. This was a big deal for the program, and with pick No. 27 in the first round, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon was an electric guard for the Orange and Blue. He averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in his final year in Champaign. These great numbers also helped elevate Illinois to an Elite 8 appearance, the first since 2005.

When an NBA team drafts a player in the first round, that usually means that player will get playing time on the main roster. He won’t be sent down to the G-League for development. Well, right now, Shannon is in a bit of a limbo.

Shannon isn’t doing either. This season, he has played in four NBA games, the latest coming November 8. He was sent down to the Iowa Wolves, the G-League affiliate of the Timberwolves, and he has only played two games at the G-League level.

Although Shannon is not in the G-League anymore, he still isn’t playing with Minnesota. He was a coach decision scratch again on Thursday night, as the Timberwolves finally won a game. They had dropped four in a row prior to the victory.

There should be plenty of opportunity for Terrence Shannon Jr. on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster

I would completely understand Shannon not getting playing time if Minnesota had a stacked roster that had multiple All-Star players at his position. That isn’t the case, though.

Obviously, Anthony Edwards commands a lot of minutes. He is the Timberwolves’ best player. But beyond Edwards, nothing blows me away in the Minnesota backcourt.

Donte DiVincenzo came over in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade last month. He has not been good with the Timberwolves, averaging just 8.9 points and having one of the worst seasons of his career from three-point range. He is only hitting 32.6% from deep.

In general, Minnesota has not played to the level that is expected. They were a championship contender, and through 19 games, they are 9-10. Why not give Shannon a chance?

Shannon has shown promise in the little time he did see on an NBA court. He also torched the G-League competition. In the two games with the Wolves, he averaged 33.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 40% from three-point range.

It is time to let Shannon play. Stop putting him in this weird limbo of being too good for the G-League but not playing him on the NBA roster. That is not helping him, his development, or the team.