Photograph per Alex Slitz/Getty Images. Terrence Shannon Jr. drives to the rim, protecting the ball.
SAN ANTONIO, TX. — Monday night’s Game 1 between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves had NBA fans around the globe on the edge of their seats. Victor Wembanyama continued to redefine our perception of greatness, while Anthony Edwards rebounded from a potential season ending injury.
Though both players transcended expectations, their supporting casts’ performances were lackluster at best. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox shot an abysmal 5 for 14, adding six turnovers. Conversely, Timberwolves forward Julius Randle shot 8 for 20, adding 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Though Randle’s performance looks above average on paper, it did not pass my “eye test,” as he looked off Terrence Shannon Jr. for a potential dagger in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Despite Randle’s selfish efforts to etch his name in Wolves history, the Timberwolves snuck away with game one in San Antonio.
On a more positive and contributory note, Terrence Shannon Jr. continued his playoff scoring streak. Shannon has now scored 15-plus points in his past three games in an average of just 28 minutes per game.
Shannon shot poorly from the floor, making only 5 for his 13 attempted field goals — but what he lacked in shooting he made up for in effort and grit.
After the game, Shannon said, “He (Wembanyama) gonna have to block it every time, I ain’t gonna stop going downhill.” On the topic of San Antonio’s All Star center, Shannon said, “I’m gonna dunk on him.”
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Watching Monday night’s game, it was apparent Chris Finch remains skeptical of TJ’s ballhandling and playmaking capabilities.
Finch played backup point guards Mike Conley and Bones Hyland a collective 36 minutes, and though their impact was felt, it seemed redundant. On numerous occasions in the second and third quarters, TJ showed incredible poise as the primary ballhandler.
Ayo Dosunmu’s injury status is pressingly relevant to Shannon’s playing time, as such I’m going to wait for any further announcements to predict his impact on Wednesday’s matchup. If Dosunmu is ruled out, TJ will get the nod and improve on his game one performance.
