Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball will be putting up the best numbers for the Minnesota Timberwolves next season. While they are the team’s stars, many are looking just as forward to seeing someone who played limited minutes last season, in Joan Beringer.
Still a bit of an unknown because he hasn’t seen much meaningful action, Beringer is an intriguing player given his potential.
On Monday, an article by Ben Golliver of ESPN listed his 10 most interesting NBA sophomore players to watch. Coming in at fourth is Beringer.
"Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are mainstays, but Minnesota likely won't have enough size to keep up with the West's elite unless Beringer can handle rotation minutes," Golliver wrote.
It’s a lot of pressure placed on Beringer, who only began playing the sport five years ago but has shown that he’s a fast learner.
Large leap of faith from the TimberwolvesÂ
There was much clamoring from the fan base for Beringer to play more as a rookie. The established frontcourt depth in front of him didn’t really allow for that to occur. This offseason has seen both Julius Randle and Naz Reid traded away, seemingly opening up a spot in the rotation for the 2025 first-round pick.
Turning just 20 years old on November 11, the Timberwolves are now counting on Beringer to be the first big off the bench. That’s a huge jump for a player who saw just 314 total minutes in the regular season last year.
In that brief time, though, Beringer has shown how impactful he can be as his game continues to grow. During his one summer league performance last week, Beringer showcased how spry he can be on both ends and finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks. Unfortunately, he has missed the last three outings with back tightness.
The only three second-year players that Golliver lists over Beringer are Dylan Harper, Cooper Flagg, and Kon Knueppel. The last two battled it out for Rookie of the Year honors all season long, while Harper played a huge role on a team that reached the NBA Finals.
Even Beringer’s rookie minutes pale in comparison to those he is listed above. Coming in at Nos. 5-10 along with their regular season minutes played are VJ Edgecombe (2,623), Cedric Coward (1,598), Ace Bailey (1,988), Derik Queen (2,023), Egor Dëmin (1,308), and Carter Bryant (818).
Is Beringer ready for the much-increased role? It’s one of the more important questions to be asked amongst the top Western Conference teams.
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