The Minnesota Timberwolves remain elated that the Milwaukee Bucks passed on Terrence Shannon Jr. in the 2024 NBA Draft. Despite being banged up beyond belief, Minnesota closed out the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the postseason, and Shannon's electric Game 6 contributions were an unmistakable reason behind the feat.
Shannon has become quite the contributor in Minnesota
Despite not playing much during the regular season, Shannon has been thrown right into the fire in the postseason thus far. In three appearances, he's averaging 14 points in just 18.7 minutes. A good chunk of that came from his effort in Game 6. Let off the leash entirely, Shannon sealed the deal and punched Minnesota's ticket to the second round.
Getting the starting nod, Shannon was ready. He was aggressive from the opening tip, attacking the Nuggets' weak interior all night. He made nine shots, and all but one of them came in the paint due to a variety of thunderous dunks and smooth layups. His constant attacking earned him five free throw attempts, and he sank all of them.
That goes without mentioning the active defense or the strong rebounding. In total, he finished with 24 points, six rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Not bad for a sophomore who hasn't been playing considerable minutes for the Timberwolves for most of the season. It's the type of game that gives him the confidence to continue blossoming.
Bucks will continue to be haunted by their 2024 draft
When the Milwaukee Bucks, who desperately needed a wing, were on the clock during the 2024 draft, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Ryan Dunn would have been justifiable selections. However, management shocked the NBA world by taking AJ Johnson, a raw guard who didn't exactly fill a glaring need at the time and wouldn't be in the rotation.
It came back to bite them quickly.
The Bucks bailed on Johnson midway through his rookie season, trading him to Washington in the Kyle Kuzma deal. That only made matters worse. If they had kept him, they could have at the very least seen where things could go. Giving up on him so quickly only made passing on a pair of ready-made players like Shannon and Dunn all the more baffling.
This decision, which was widely criticized at the time, is among the reasons Bucks fans are on edge as they prepare to make another first-round selection this summer.
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