Much has been made about LaMelo Ball's picture-perfect fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves and how he'll elevate the whole team. However, one player who I think has flown under the radar in these conversations is second-year big man Joan Beringer.
With Julius Randle in Brooklyn and Naz Reid in Charlotte, Beringer has a clear path to earning backup five minutes behind Rudy Gobert. At 19, Beringer is still a bit raw, but his upside is indisputable. All the same, he thrives as a rim runner, given his great hands and athleticism. This skill set will make him an ideal pick-and-roll partner with Ball, who is one of the league's best playmakers and lob passers.
It's more than fair to discuss how Ball can get the most out of Gobert and how Rudy will cover up for LaMelo on defense (I certainly have). Stylistically, though, Beringer's athleticism and more natural rim running abilities make him a cleaner fit.
Plus, while Beringer's rim protection abilities and defensive switchability give him a ton of defensive upside, right now he's biggest area of growth is arguably on that side of the floor, particularly developing more defensive discipline. That's not to say Beringer is perfect on offense, but he's a rock-solid lob threat as is, and LaMelo can help maximize this skill set.
LaMelo Ball and Joan Beringer can be a sneaky dynamic duo
Whether it's in pick-and-roll actions in the halfcourt or running in transition, Ball and Beringer project to be a thrilling pairing.
During LaMelo's time in Charlotte, he played with fairly similar centers, including Moussa Diabaté. Both Beringer and Diabaté are athletic high-motor big men -- Ball certainly helped Diabaté level up as a rim runner and lob threat.
It's worth noting that in Beringer's limited (non-garbage time) minutes, the Timberwolves offense was 12 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court per Cleaning the Glass. Now, they were 13.1 points per 100 possessions worse defensively. He also averaged 17.9 points per 36 minutes.
Beringer's on/off numbers likely won't look this staggering with more minutes, and since he's likely to play closer to 18 minutes, we can estimate an average closer to 9 points. Regardless, it's clear that Beringer can give the Timberwolves' offense a more dynamic element, and Ball can further bring this to light.
Additionally, considering Beringer's impact (albeit in limited minutes) without much natural playmaking around him, it's fair to be optimistic about what he can accomplish alongside LaMelo.
The stars appear to be aligning for Beringer to have a breakout season. Beyond the increased opportunity, the ideal situation of playing alongside a top-tier playmaker in Ball should ensure that Beringer levels up.
Without a doubt, Beringer establishing himself as a dependable backup is vital for the Timberwolves to compete at the highest level. Thankfully, Ball can make this possibility turn into a reality.
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