One Timberwolves 1st Rounder Went Off During NBA Summer League Debut

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Terrance Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves took two players in the first round of the NBA Draft. The first was Rob Dillingham (Kentucky), who they drafted with the No. 8 pick overall, after trading a 2031 1st and 2030 pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs. Then, with the No. 27 pick, president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, selected Terrence Shannon Jr (Illinois).

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Terrence Shannon Jr shows out in summer league debut

On Friday, the Wolves played their first summer league game of the year, and they have a relatively stacked roster, with the two listed above, along with Josh Minott, Leonard Miller, Jaylen Clark and more. But it was Shannon Jr who stole the show this afternoon, racking up 23 points on 9/14 shooting (1/4 3PT) to go with 2 blocks and 3 rebounds.

I mean, not only did Terrence Shannon Jr display his innate ability to play downhill and finish at the rim (with authority), but his shot looked pure and he’s able to get where he needs on the floor, both with and without the ball.

Two of Shannon Jr’s three misses from deep were on expiring shot clocks. But most exciting of all might be Shannon Jr’s defense. He plays tight on the ball and has great anticipation off of it.

Some doubted Minnesota taking the former Illini guard, due to his age (23) and injury concerns, but he’s exactly what the Wolves need off the bench. A microwave scorer who can come in from college and contribute immediately, for cheap. If his summer league debut was any indication, Tim Connelly may have hit on another gem at pick 27 in 2024.

Rob Dillingham struggles with his shot

It wasn’t as successful of a day for the Timberwolves top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Let’s start by noting that Rob Dillingham looked really good on Friday. He is a true playmaker and that oozes out of him when the ball is in his hands.

He finished with 5 rebounds and 5 assists (0 turnovers), far and away outpacing what Shannon Jr did in those categories. But today, the shot wasn’t falling for Dillingham. Thus, he finished just 2 of 12 on the game (0/5 3PT). Because of that shooting line, it’s impossible to call his showing vs the Pelicans a success. No doubt though, this kid can ball.

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Don’t worry about the game Rob Dillingham had today. His size does concern me slightly, just in the short term. He needs to get bigger. But he will hit open shots in the future. He has prior to today. His vision is elite and the fact that he had 5 rebounds at his size is eye opening, as well.

“I’m so proud of that dude. Number one, it’s not about him scoring. Everybody want to see how he can score. He’s gonna be a prolific scorer in the NBA one day. It’s about understanding our culture and fitting into that culture.

Timberwolves coach Chris Hines (via Dane Moore)

The Timberwolves next summer league game is on Sunday vs the Indiana Pacers at 4:30 PM CT on NBA TV.

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