Terrence Shannon Jr Scouting Report
With legal troubles in the rearview mirror, TSJ is an intriguing target for teams
Name: Terrence Shannon
Height/Weight: 6’6/ 219
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’8 ¾ / 8’6
Hand size: 8 ¼
Position: Wing
Pre-draft team: Illinois
Tools: On-ball defense, slashing, athleticism
Background: Transferred from Texas Tech in 2022. A 2 time All Big 10 member and one time All Big 12 member. Played wide receiver in high school. Dad played basketball professionally.
Season stats: 23 PPG 4 RPG 2.3 APG 1 SPG 0.9 BPG 2 TOPG 2.2 FPG in 34 MPG on 47.5/36/80
Pros:
Long strides help him separate on drives
Good athlete with plus quickness
Shot can be quick over defenders
Intelligent defender and rotates well; projects as a good team defender
Can win on defense in a variety of ways. Wins getting to spots
Capitalizes on poor decision making (defensively); loose handles, lazy passes, and telegraphed reads
Thrives in transition; can be a one-man fastbreak
Good finisher at the rim
Quick first step
Fast downhill slasher
Good motor
Has gotten stronger over the last couple of years
Cons:
Low release on jumper
Hesitant shooter with inconsistent form
Can lose balance on pull-up jumpers
Needs to tighten handle and get better at securing the ball from swipes
Unable to consistently go right
Mediocre frame relative to his body
Panics in late offense- struggled with less than 10 seconds on the clock to create offense
Can have late reflexes to close-outs
Often has his hands on his hips and doesn’t move off-ball
Swing Skills:
Needs to be more comfortable with his right hand and making complex decisions going right. Can settle when he goes right for tougher shots rather than doing the same things with his left and right
Needs to be more disciplined closing out- can be quick to go for blocks on the perimeter
Summary
Terrence Shannon had two strong seasons at Illinois, improving as a scorer while maintaining his defensive prowess. Shannon has a massive swing skill in his jump shooting. On one hand, the percentages from Texas Tech and free throw percentage project his shooting to translate, but on the other hand, he has a low release on his jumper and struggled to hit runners/floaters (a secondary shooting indicator), pull-up jumpers, and sometimes had wildly bad misses from 3. His defense will always be at worst near league average, and should be able to score in quick offense with an ability to score in transition. Once he develops his right hand more, he should see an uptick in his already strong slashing output. His right hand needs complete development, from dribbling and finishing, to live-dribble passing. If a team is looking for a project as a two-way slasher with room to grow as a shooter, Shannon is a decent option in the second round.
Offensively, Shannon’s biggest concerns come from composure and shot selection, which often go hand-in-hand for him. Far too often, he sprints into the paint with no plan beyond ‘find a way to get this layup off’ which is not usually a successful strategy. While he can thrive in transition and be a one man fastbreak, he often gets in his own way. Take this play against Wisconsin as an example, forcing a transition play with no offensive advantage off of the missed free throw:
This has been an issue since his days at Texas Tech, and if not resolved, this could negatively impact his ability to maximize his athleticism and blow-by speed. Another element that limits his tools is losing composure at the end of the clock, which seems to have barely gotten better, if at all, since he was starting his career at Texas Tech. Plays like the below are far too common, missing open teammates or simply making the wrong decision at the end of the possession as the clock is winding down.
Another example from 2022 that put the nail in the coffin for a loss:
Away from transition scoring, Shannon has improved his jumper significantly, both spotting up and shooting off the dribble. His touch has always been obvious, but his form improved, leading to less airballs and bad misses. While his overall movement off-ball is lackluster, his improvements with the ball in his hands make him a potentially instant impact wing, being able to quickly get to the rim, spot-up and attack closeouts, or hit off the dribble jumpers. Shannon leaves a bit to be desired in terms of making others better with the ball in his hands, which will be key to unlocking his full offensive upside. Another concern is that on drives, particularly when he is playing too fast for himself, he is prone to losing the ball against swipes.
Defensively, Shannon wins by getting to spots first and aggressively asserting his presence against offensive players both stronger and smaller than him. He legally bullies players without getting into foul trouble in doing so, which forces lots of offensive adjustments on the fly. In the NBA, an ability to force a reset and work the shot clock is one of the most beneficial traits a defender can have, which gives a strong boost to Shannon’s ability to be an instant impact wing. On top of this, his versatility in terms of being able to guard multiple players with multiple play styles is another boost.
At times at Texas Tech, Shannon was slow to contest jumpers on the perimeter, which could be a minor tweak that could hinder his impact in the NBA. He also doesn’t attempt digs or bring himself into plays defensively as much as someone with his tools should. While some of this may have been part of the system at Illinois, he still should have found ways to create plays on the defensive end as a helper and choker to the offense.
Overall, Shannon offers defensive value and athleticism to fit a young team that runs in transition often (Sacramento comes to mind). If he can improve his shooting and reduce negative results that are the consequences of bad habits, including panicking as a creator in quick half-court offense, left hand dominance, and inconsistent defensive discipline, he will have value as a bench role player. Shannon needs the right spot to stick, as his developmental opportunities are unique and will need to be eased into a role, making him still a bit of a raw senior.
Projected draft range: 40-undrafted
Expected role: Backup Swiss Army knife on a good team.
Unplayable if: Jump shot and right hand never develop, making teams sag off, and thus reducing his ability as a finisher and playmaker.
Exceeds expectations if: Percentages that project shooting to come along are more in line than the eye test. Shannon’s jump shot is a fatal swing skill that either makes or ruins his NBA career.
Videos:
Challenging defender + jab steps leads to foul
Shot Chart:
