Joan Beringer's upside has always been clear. However, being stuck behind Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid, the French rookie hasn't seen the floor much. Beringer's limited rotational minutes have shown both flashes of brilliance and signs that he is still a raw 19-year-old. Thankfully, Friday's game against the Houston Rockets falls under the former.
En route to a four-point win, Beringer chipped in 14 points (on 5-of-5 shooting), four rebounds, two steals, and a block. All five of Beringer's shots were around the rim; two showed off his abilities as a roll man, and two of them were off drives, highlighting his athletic gifts. Check out this driving dunk off a steal in transition.
JOAN JAM! pic.twitter.com/bn11xavbLi
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 11, 2026
Another aspect of Beringer's game that was impressive was his defensive discipline, which has been a clear area of growth for him this season. Notably, he just recorded two fouls, doing so against a skilled foul drawer in Alepern Sengun is especially impressive.
Undoubtedly, this game is a reminder of Beringer's immense two-way upside and is a sign that he could be ready for a rotational role next season.
Joan Beringer is primed for a bigger role next season
I don't know if Beringer will step in and average 20 minutes a game next season. However, Beringer needs to play more consistent minutes. After investing a mid-first-round pick in Beringer and the flashes he's shown this season, there's no excuse for him not to play more regular minutes again.
It's likely that the Wolves will part ways with one of their three main big men in part to open up minutes for Beringer. Given his shot blocking, freaky athleticism, and high-level rim running abilities, Beringer is the Wolves' ideal center of the future, and they need to start getting him acclimated to this goal.
If and when Beringer gets unleashed next season, it's fair to expect some level of growing pains. While he showed some solid defensive discipline on Friday, it would be foolish to say that he has totally solved this problem overnight. Despite Beringer's athletic gifts and high-level rim protection, his one-on-one defense also needs to improve.
Nevertheless, I firmly believe that Beringer's problems are solvable with a more consistent role. Neemias Queta of the Boston Celtics had similar concerns about his defensive discipline last season, and now he's a crucial part of a championship-level team.
Beringer, who started playing hoops in 2021, is clearly an extremely fast learner. As such, when given a more consistent role, it's fair to believe he works through some of his issues.
Ultimately, Friday's game is a prime example that Beringer has loads of upside and that he could soon be poised to contribute to winning basketball.