It’s long been said that Rudy Gobert can anchor a top-10 defense by himself. While that might be stretching it a bit, very few in league history have been as impactful on that end as the four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Last season, and for much of his career, his team’s defense suffered greatly when Gobert was off the floor. The latest player who will try to change that for the Minnesota Timberwolves is Joan Beringer, who has the defensive upside to be the perfect solution to this problem.
Beringer can help the Wolves' defense stay afloat without Gobert
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Timberwolves' defense was 11.8 points better per 100 possessions with Gobert on the floor compared to when he was off. That lands in the 98th percentile. Gobert has finished in at least the 90th percentile in three of his four years with Minnesota, and 10 of his career 13 seasons in the NBA.
The past few years have seen Naz Reid back up Gobert. That’s a pretty steep drop-off in rim protection. Pairing him in the frontcourt with Julius Randle, opposing teams would have no fear of taking it to the hole. Randle has always had somewhat of a laissez-faire attitude toward defense, and he blocked just one shot in 12 playoff outings.
With both of those frontcourt members now gone from the team, the onus of trying to ensure the defense doesn’t fall apart without Gobert is on Beringer. It’s pretty evident that he has a much higher defensive ceiling than those two.
The 6-foot-11 Beringer has a wingspan more than five inches longer than his height. This allows him to be a rim deterrent, and while he didn’t play all that much last season, he averaged three blocks per 36 minutes.
Just 19 years old—he turns 20 on November 11—Beringer is quick on his feet and not afraid to venture out onto the perimeter. In order to stay on the court with the extended minutes he is expected to receive, Beringer will have to learn to be more disciplined and avoid committing fouls so frequently.
Staying on his feet and learning that he doesn't have to attempt to block every shot will go a long way in ensuring Beringer can stay out of foul trouble.
The defense will probably still be better with Gobert on the court. That’s been an absolute truth throughout his career. Beringer can at least ensure that the defensive falloff isn’t so stark. That’s the pathway to Chris Finch feeling truly comfortable giving the second-year center more playing time.
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