Rookie Joan Beringer is one of the more intriguing players for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. Beringer was selected with the No. 17 pick in June and has a ton of upside. So far in training camp, it looks like Beringer has been impressive. Anthony Edwards notably had high praise for the rookie center. Beringer seems poised to be Rudy Gobert's successor, and his potential, especially on defense, is immense.
Nevertheless, Beringer doesn't turn 19 until November 11. Furthermore, he only started playing basketball in 2021. Overall, Beringer is one of the highest upside yet least polished first-round picks.
On a competitive Wolves squad, Beringer being a mainstay in the rotation feels far-fetched. Regardless, the Wolves should (and likely will) look to sprinkle Beringer into the rotation at various points throughout the year.
Beringer shouldn't be a mainstay in the Wolves' rotation, but he should get some minutes
Chris Finch has stated that the Wolves will likely run a nine-man rotation with that ninth man possibly being situational. Specifically, Finch mentioned that some nights could lend themselves to a point guard while others could open up opportunities for more defense or another big man. Reading between the lines, a bit, the need for a point guard likely refers to Rob Dillingham, the need for extra defense seems like Jaylen Clark or maybe Beringer, and another big man clearly hints at Beringer.
Finch also mentioned that Beringer is unlikely to spend much time with the Iowa G League squad. As a result, it's fair to expect some spot minutes for Beringer. The 6-foot-11 center's best skill is undoubtedly rim protection and defense. Impressively, Beringer averaged 2.5 blocks in summer league and 1.5 blocks while playing for Cedevita Olimpija.
Beringer pairs his stellar rim protection abilities with high-level mobility and athleticism. This combination of rim protection and versatility gives the French big man All-Defensive upside. It's fair to expect that Beringer will be impactful on defense from day one, regardless of his minutes.
While Beringer has upside on offense, this area of his game is more raw. Beringer will play a role as a lob threat and connective screener. Still, during summer league, he looked lost on offense at times and will likely have some growing pains on that side of the ball. Notably, he averaged 6.8 points on 52.6 percent shooting from the field in summer league.
For a Wolves team with title hopes, this makes playing Beringer real minutes tricky, especially since they have a loaded frontcourt rotation. The Wolves still need to give Beringer some opportunities and help him get some much-needed NBA reps.
To develop Beringer, some minutes will be needed, but Minnesota can't put too much pressure on a raw rookie, especially given their goals as a team. Ultimately, floating in and out of the rotation as a reserve big for some extra defense is the perfect role for Beringer's rookie season.