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5 things that stood out in Wolves' summer opener: Terrence Shannon stars

"Yeah he is physically ready," Chris Finch said of Shannon. "We've been really, really impressed with him so far."

Joe Nelson

Terrence Shannon Jr.
Terrence Shannon Jr. / ESPN2
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Terrence Shannon Jr. might very well be the steal of the draft. The 23-year-old star who was drafted 27th overall last month made his NBA debut Friday in the Timberwolves' Summer League opener against the New Orleans Pelicans and he led the way with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting to lead Minnesota to a 81-74 win.

Let's dive into Shannon and four other things that stood out in Minnesota's summer opener.

1. Terrence Shannon Jr. is explosive

Shannon's NBA debut featured a ferocious dunk for his first professional basket. It came in the first quarter after Daishen Nix poked the ball loose and found Shannon in transition for a poster slam over a Pelicans defender.

Shannon also hit a corner 3-pointer, drew a foul after breaking down a defender in a one-on-one situation, had a steal lead to a breakaway dunk and blocked a shot when he recovered after falling for a pump fake in the corner. All that happened in the first quarter of his NBA career.

He then grabbed a rebound after a miss by the Pelicans and raced 94 feet to the other end and attacked the rim to draw another foul.

The Wolves have suggested that Shannon is NBA ready and his debut confirmed that opinion. Finding playing time as a rookie might be difficult with the likes of Anthony Edwards, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaden McDaniels and Joe Ingles ahead of him on the depth chart, but Shannon certainly looks like he won't be overmatched.

"Yeah he is physically ready," said head coach Chris Finch on the ESPN2 broadcast. "We've been really, really impressed with him so far."

2. Rob Dillingham is very fast, struggled with shot

Dillingham's first professional bucket was a baseline floater but the thing that popped on the screen about his game was his quickness. He showcased an elite handle of the basketball and flashed big-time quickness on both ends of the floor.

In the first half, he didn't beat anyone off the dribble and get to the rim but he appeared poised in his first professional game. Offensively, he missed a pair of 3s, including one that he took off-balance, and he blew a layup that was slightly contested at the rim.

He found Shannon for a transition dunk in the third quarter and then moments later he forced a steal but missed a contested lay at the other end of the floor.

Dillingham finished with four points, five assists and five rebounds. He was 2-of-12 shooting including 0 of 5 from deep.

3. Jaylen Clark plays for first time since March 2023

Clark, who spent all of last season rehabbing a torn Achilles that he suffered in mid-March 2023 while at UCLA, came off the bench to play for the first time in 16 months. Head coach Chris Finch has said that Clark's defense is NBA ready, but his playing time in 2024-25 could depend on his ability to shoot. He did not shoot the ball well Friday, as might be expected while he shakes off rust.

4. Leonard Miller and Josh Minott

Miller, whom Wolves boss Tim Connelly considered a steal in the 2023 draft, didn't have the smoothest performance but he was a rebounding machine and looked comfortable shooting from deep. The 6-foot-10 20-year-old had 10 points, six rebounds and three steals before he got poked in the eye in the third quarter and didn't return to the game.

Note: It was a left eye injury for Miller, though he stayed on the bench the rest of the game and didn't seem any worse for wear.

Minott's length was a problem for the Pelicans on both ends of the floor. He's in his third NBA season and there is room for him to carve out a role on the back of the NBA bench but he might be competing directly with Miller for that opportunity. Minott finished with 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, two assists and a block.

5. Nadir Hifi the guard you didn't know about

Hifi, playing on nothing more than a Summer League contract, looked great in the first half with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting including a 3-pointer to go along with a rebound, steal and two assists. The lefty finished with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting with three rebounds, five assists and three steals.

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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

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