Chris Finch confirms bigger role for Terrence Shannon Jr. next season

But once the Wolves' eight-man rotation was back to full health, Shannon returned to the bench. He largely stayed there until the conference finals against the Thunder, when Finch turned to him in search of a spark in Game 3. Once again, Shannon was impressive. He scored 35 points in just under 37 total minutes in the final three games of the series, shooting over 50 percent from the field and making all 12 of his free-throw attempts.

There's a lot that's up in the air when it comes to the Timberwolves' offseason and what the roster will look like next year. But with Nickeil Alexander-Walker seeming likely to depart in free agency, a rotation spot should be available for Shannon to claim. Finch and the Wolves just want to see "more of the same" from him when he ends up playing more consistently.

"I get asked this question a lot, usually the beginning of the season, 'What's next for so-and-so?' What's next is being able to do it over and over and over, every single night," Finch said. "I think that's where it starts. ... Just playing to who you are, doing it every night, so we can expect that we're gonna get some version of that every single night."

The main thing Shannon can bring the Wolves, which they sometimes lacked, is pace and energy. He's a relentless attacker who loves to get out in transition and run. His mindset and scoring ability thrives in those situations, although he's also a capable and effective player in the half court. Finch would like to see the Wolves utilize more pace in the future.

"One of the reasons we drafted Rob (Dillingham) and TJ is because they can increase our pace, and we're excited about that for next season," Finch said. "But we need more pace out of our main players too. It's just a commitment we're gonna have to make, and it is a way to counter all the physicality that OKC does play with."

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