This past summer, it was reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves weren't willing to move off Joan Beringer in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. To be clear, they would've had to give up a lot more than just Beringer, but that's obviously still a strong stance to have about a 19-year-old who didn't play regular minutes as a rookie. The Wolves later cleared minutes for Beringer in the offseason by trading Naz Reid and Julius Randle this summer. After this, it was crystal clear that they believed in him.
Therefore, it shouldn't be a surprise that Brian Windhorst noted that the Timberwolves view Beringer as pretty much untouchable.
"I think he's (Beringer) pretty much untouchable on that team," Windhorst said during a recent episode of The Hoop Collective.
As noted, Windhorst's comments aren't much of a surprise given what we saw this offseason. Think about it: if they didn't want to trade him for Giannis, who would they trade him for? Regardless, when you look at it logically, it's quite understandable why the Wolves are firm about keeping Beringer. In short, his upside is immense, and he's already providing rock-solid minutes.
Joan Beringer's upside is immense
Currently, Beringer is a quality backup big man. So far, he is averaging 18.7 minutes, 7.1 points, and 6.9 rebounds on 60.6 percent shooting from the field. He crashes the glass (especially on offense) at an elite rate, is an athletic rim runner with great hands, and is a solid defender.
It's very impressive that Beringer has already become a solid backup, just seven games into the season. Not only is he still just 19 years old and didn't play much as a rookie, but he also started playing basketball in 2021. Beringer is only going to get better and better as time goes on.
Frankly, Beringer already provides more offensive value than Rudy Gobert due to his sturdy hands, solid touch, and gifts as an athletic rim runner. Interestingly, Beringer has also flashed the ability to attack and create for himself, along with some solid short-roll passing. If he adds this to his game consistently, then he could become a legitimate All-Star.
Beringer's defense isn't quite up to the same level yet. He's had some lapses with positioning and isn't great as a one-on-one defender. You can't expect the guy to be perfect, though, and thankfully these issues are super fixable.
Plus, we've already seen Beringer iron out some of his defensive weaknesses. Most notably, people were worried about him getting into foul trouble this year. This was a reasonable concern considering that Beringer averaged 5.4 fouls per 36 minutes last season. Thankfully, we've seen Beringer cut back on his fouls, averaging 3.6 fouls per 36 minutes in his second year.
The actualized version of Beringer is a game-wrecking shot-blocker with the ability to switch onto the perimeter. That's an All-Defensive-level player. And when you pair that with his offensive abilities, his upside is through the roof.
Again, he's still just 19, and he's still learning the sport. Just imagine what he looks like in a few years—the Timberwolves would be silly not to wait and see.
Beringer is a perfect long-term fit with the Timberwolves
On top of his clear upside, Beringer is an ideal fit with the Timberwolves. Minnesota has an exciting 26-and-under core. While Gobert is currently one of the team's five best players, he doesn't fit this timeline, and it would benefit the Wolves to have a long-term plan at center. Beringer offers the team exactly that.
Playstyle-wise, he's absolutely perfect alongside LaMelo Ball, who thrives alongside athletic rim runners. The two already have strong chemistry, and we've seen Ball maximize Beringer's rim-running abilities. As time goes on, this duo will only be more prolific.
Another factor is that the Wolves have a championship-level team when healthy. They don't have many flaws, and it's hard to find a player they could realistically trade who would fill a need and make them feel comfortable trading Beringer. If an opportunity arises, it may make sense for them to rethink their stance, but it would take a very specific player to make this happen. As such, the "pretty much untouchable" label makes sense.
Moreover, finding a quality center is really hard, especially at a low cost. Not only is Beringer already productive, but he's on his rookie contract for two more full seasons after this. Having a productive and cheap big man with upside is a luxury that the Timberwolves can't afford to lose.
Considering all of these factors, it makes perfect sense why the Timberwolves view Beringer as an untouchable-level player.
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