Chris Finch watched the Minnesota Timberwolves open their season with a 25-point win, then offered a revealing admission about one of his reserves. He should have put the ball in Terrence Shannon Jr.’s hands sooner.
Shannon’s 10 points in Minnesota’s 131–106 victory over the Miami Heat were easy to overlook alongside Anthony Edwards’ 45-point performance and LaMelo Ball’s debut. His developing responsibilities, however, could matter well beyond opening night.
Asked afterward about Shannon bringing the ball up and operating alongside Ayo Dosunmu, Finch made clear that the expanded role was intentional.
“Silly me for not figuring it out sooner,” Finch said in his postgame press conference. “He’s very effective with the ball in his hands.”
That observation gives Shannon a more interesting path forward than simply competing for opportunities to finish plays. Minnesota is giving him a chance to help start them.
Chris Finch sees more than a scorer in Terrence Shannon Jr.
Finch’s explanation focused on where Shannon is most comfortable and how he can pressure an opponent. “He’s basically like a point guard for us in that way,” Finch said. “Puts a lot of pressure on the defense early and just kind of a better top-of-the-floor player than he is coming out of the corners.”
The distinction is significant. A player stationed in the corner often depends on someone else to create the initial advantage. He might receive a kickout, attack a closeout or cut when a defender turns away. Those opportunities are valuable, but they give him limited control over how a possession develops.
Starting with the ball allows Shannon to influence the defense earlier. He can advance quickly, assess the coverage and initiate an attack before becoming a secondary option. Finch also connected the assignment to Shannon’s experience before reaching the NBA.
“Played on the ball a lot in college,” he added. “I think he feels natural that way, too.”
The Wolves are trying to use that comfort. Rather than asking Shannon to fit every possession around a narrow off-ball assignment, they can give him situations in which his instincts and aggression have room to operate.
That does not mean he suddenly needs to become a traditional pass-first point guard. Finch’s description centers on creating pressure, which can come through advancing the ball, threatening the paint and forcing defenders to react.
Anthony Edwards is already feeling the benefit
The expanded ball-handling responsibilities also fit a broader change in Minnesota’s offense.
Ball is the most obvious addition helping Edwards conserve energy and receive cleaner opportunities. But Edwards emphasized after the opener that he now has several teammates who can bring the ball up and get possessions moving.
“I don’t have to bring the ball up every time anymore,” Edwards said in his postgame interview.
He specifically included Shannon among those alternatives, along with Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga.
That matters because the benefits of adding another creator extend beyond the possessions in which that player records an assist. Someone else can handle the initial work, allowing Edwards to find a position farther up the floor or enter an action after the defense has begun shifting.
Shannon can contribute to that process even when he shares the court with more established ball handlers. Playing beside Dosunmu does not require him to spend every possession waiting for the ball. The Wolves can divide responsibilities according to matchups, who collects a rebound and where an opportunity appears.
For a team trying to play with more pace and movement, having multiple players comfortable initiating offense is useful.
Shannon’s opportunity comes with work still ahead
Opening night did not establish that Shannon has mastered the assignment.
He finished with 10 points and one assist in just under 20 minutes, shooting 3-of-9 from the field and 2-of-7 from three-point range. There were productive contributions, but plenty of room for greater efficiency.
Those numbers are a reason to keep the discussion grounded. Being trusted to handle the ball creates an opportunity; consistently making good decisions will determine how much that opportunity grows.
Shannon will need to recognize when to push, when to move the ball and when an early attack has failed to produce an advantage. His ability to contribute away from the ball will remain important, particularly in lineups featuring Edwards and Ball.
Finch is still working through those combinations. In the same press conference, he acknowledged that he was continuing to find his way with parts of the rotation, balancing minutes and responding to the matchups available.
That leaves room for Shannon to make himself increasingly useful.
Minnesota already has its primary offensive stars. What it needs around them are players who can keep possessions moving and prevent the offense from becoming overly dependent on one person.
Finch’s admission suggests he believes Shannon can help with that responsibility. The promising part of his opener was the trust behind the assignment: his coach now wants to see what happens when he gets more chances to make the first decision.
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