When the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Joan Beringer with the No. 17 pick back in 2025, they took an undeniable risk. Beringer, who was 18 years old at the time, had only started playing basketball in 2021. He entered the league as a clear project player, but one with immense upside.
For a Timberwolves squad with title aspirations, this was a gamble, especially since, within all likelihood, this would be the highest Minnesota would select for a while.
Still, lead executive Tim Connelly was enamored with Beringer's upside, and he saw him as the ultimate successor to Rudy Gobert. Furthermore, while the Wolves had a loaded frontcourt, they lacked a true center outside of Gobert. Unsurprisingly, Beringer didn't play much as a rookie, 314 total minutes to be exact. He flashed enough potential that made it seem inevitable he'd get more minutes in his second year, though.
With Julius Randle and Naz Reid being traded (and the Wolves not adding another rotational big man), Beringer's path to minutes couldn't be clearer. There's a lot of responsibility on the 19-year-old's shoulders, but if everything goes right, he could make the Wolves look like geniuses for drafting (and believing) him.
Joan Beringer can back up the Timberwolves' belief in him
The Timberwolves' belief in Beringer goes beyond somewhat boldly drafting him and making moves that opened up minutes for him -- it can't be forgotten that they kept him out of trade talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. That's a gutsy stance considering how limited a role he played as a rookie. However, should Beringer make a second-year leap, the Wolves' belief in him will be all the more understandable.
As things stand, Beringer is primed to receive the lion's share (if not all) of the non-Gobert minutes. Trey Lyles is the only other big man who can possibly take away minutes from him. Regardless, Lyles is not a rim protector at all, and he was out of the NBA entirely last year.
In his limited minutes last season, Beringer showcased his upside on both ends of the floor. He is an athletic rim protector and rebounder with plenty of switchability. Offensively, Beringer is an effective lob threat and screener. With a bigger role, it's easy to see Beringer being a two-way force and a fantastic high-energy big man.
The biggest thing for Beringer will be proving that he's disciplined enough to handle a heavy minute load. As a rookie, Beringer averaged an alarming 5.4 fouls per 36 minutes. He often got block-happy and needs to improve his timing. His physicality as an on-ball defender could also improve. On the other side of the floor, flashing a bit more skill would be ideal but not necessary. More importantly, I'd argue Beringer simply needs to prove that he can consistently produce and be a net positive offensive player.
Thankfully, Beringer is clearly a fast learner, and he exceeded my expectations during his limited minutes last season. As such, I think there's a strong chance that Beringer makes a massive leap in his second year. Furthermore, all of these areas of improvement are very fixable, and there were no glaring red flags with his rookie season.
With ample improvement, Beringer could look like a high-end backup center in his second season and set himself up for a successful career.
For a Timberwolves team that's near the second tax apron, getting quality production from Beringer on his rookie contract would be extremely beneficial. And as Gobert ages, he needs to prove that he's indeed the ideal successor.
It's more than possible that Beringer proves exactly that this upcoming season. Surely, this possibility would silence some of the major concerns about the Timberwolves' roster and fully vindicate their draft selection, ultimately making the organization look incredibly wise for their bold all-around belief in Beringer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google