With Rudy Gobert suspended and Naz Reid out with a shoulder injury, rookie big man Joan Beringer earned his first start on Sunday. Expectations were high among Minnesota Timberwolves fans, as in Beringer's previous three games, earning double-digit minutes, he had averaged 10.6 points (on 82.3 percent shooting), 5.6 rebounds, and a block.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned for Beringer on Sunday, though, in 16:51 minutes, he fouled out, recording seven points and three rebounds. Beringer's underwhelming game was paired with a poor game from the team overall, as they lost by 27 points to the Philadelphia 76ers. This game is a great reminder that Beringer is still just 19 years old, and he only started playing basketball in 2021.
However, one bad game shouldn't change the reality that Beringer is the Wolves' center of the future and still ahead of schedule. As such, fans should still be thrilled about Beringer's upside and future with the team.
Beringer is still in a great spot overall
Frankly, I didn't expect much of Beringer during his rookie season. That's not a shot at him -- but the truth is, contributing winning minutes as a 19-year-old on a team with championship aspirations is really challenging. Beringer's games against the Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks in January were more impactful than I ever envisioned Beringer's rookie season.
The fact that this is Beringer's second bad game (he also struggled against the Golden State Warriors last month) of his young career is certainly a good thing. It would be unrealistic to expect Beringer to be great every time he's called upon. Simply put, these growing pains are a natural part of the process for any young player.
In general, Beringer has been fantastic on defense. He provides high-level rim protection with impressive versatility. Nevertheless, Beringer needs to improve his ability to defend without fouling. Per 36 minutes, Beringer averages 6.1 fouls, which is among the highest marks in the league. For a young raw center, though, this is a common problem, and it's certainly something Beringer can improve upon.
Offensively, Beringer has been far more advanced than I anticipated. He has great hands, solid touch around the rim, and more often than not, he's in the right spot. Beringer's abilities as a rim runner and screener with the potential to develop more all-around scoring prowess make him an ideal center for the Timberwolves offense. Does he still have room to grow on offense? Absolutely, but at 19, what we've seen from him is pretty remarkable.
Sunday's game should be a perfect reminder to Timberwolves fans that Beringer is still a fairly raw rookie center. However, that doesn't change the fact that Beringer is on the right track and has already shown plenty of promise.