Tim Connelly heaps praise on Timberwolves' Summer League star

It isn't exactly a surprise that Terrence Shannon Jr. is playing this well in Summer League. He was ready for the NBA last year as an older rookie, which he showed when he got a chance to crack the Timberwolves' rotation. This is a guy who looked like he belonged on the biggest stage when he scored 35 points in 37 minutes against the eventual champions in the final three games of the Western Conference Finals. He was clearly poised to dominate in Las Vegas this month.

Nonetheless, it's been fun to watch him deliver on those expectations. Shannon has eclipsed 20 points in all three games for the 3-0 Wolves, who have one game left in preliminary play on Wednesday afternoon. He's the fifth-leading scorer among all Summer League players in Vegas (minimum two games), averaging 22.7 points to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game. And he's been efficient as Minnesota's No. 1 option, posting nearly 48/39/95 shooting splits so far.

We already know Shannon is going to be the primary replacement for Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the Timberwolves' rotation next season. He looks like a guy who can be a legitimate difference-making force off the bench, not just an eighth or ninth man who plays 15-20 minutes a night. Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly joined the NBA TV broadcast of Tuesday's game and heaped plenty of praise on Shannon, who the team selected 27th overall last year.

"We think he has an ability to be an elite two-way player," Connelly said, echoing Wolves GM Matt Lloyd's words from this past weekend. "Toughness, approach to the game, work ethic is through the roof. He's such a downhill guy. Sometimes we get a little stagnant offensively, we play too much in the half court — he forces you to play fast.

"And just an A-plus guy. Nobody works harder. I think you'll see an emerging three-point shooter. We're really gonna challenge him defensively. He's got the size to guard several positions, and he's so competitive. So we think the sky's the limit. We got very lucky (to draft him)."

Shannon's calling card is his relentless downhill driving. He's never afraid to attack the rim and finish with his dominant left hand, whether in the half court or in transition. But the Wolves will also need him to be able to knock down threes, especially when he's playing off the ball next to Anthony Edwards and/or Julius Randle. NAW was a 38-39 percent shooter on 4-5 attempts a night from deep.

Shannon has reportedly been working hard on his jumper this offseason, and the results in Vegas have been encouraging. He's put up 26 threes in three games and made 10 of them, including a 3-for-3 performance on Tuesday. That's 38.5 percent, which is up from his 35.9 mark during his rookie season (14 for 39 between regular season and playoffs).