Timberwolves fans immediately vindicated for Joan Beringer stance

For months, Minnesota Timberwolves fans have been begging head coach Chris Finch to give rookie big man Joan Beringer some real minutes. The 19-year-old's upside is immense, and the Wolves have struggled all season long in the non-Rudy Gobert minutes. Yet Beringer had only played garbage-time minutes all season long.

Notably, entering Tuesday's game, the Wolves' defensive rating without Gobert was a 124.2, which is equivalent to the league's worst defense.

With Gobert suspended for Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, fans were eager to see what Beringer could do with some rotational minutes -- and he didn't disappoint. In 30 minutes, Beringer racked up 13 points (on 6-for-7 shooting from the field), five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Beringer was a key part of a blowout 139-106 win.

It's safe to say that Beringer will get more opportunities down the road, and he could become a mainstay of the Wolves' rotation.

Joan Beringer proved that he is ready for NBA minutes

Beringer's main selling points as a prospect were his rim protection and mobility. Likewise, the primary reason Wolves fans wanted to see Beringer play is that he could help Minnesota maintain a competent defense without Gobert. While he has clear upside as a rim runner, the concern with Beringer was always that his offense would be too raw.

That being said, it's hard not to be delighted and encouraged by his offensive performance against the Bucks. Beringer was in the right place and showed immense confidence with the ball in his hands. He scored in a variety of ways, including putbacks, cutting off the ball, catching lobs, and even driving to the hoop. And for what it's worth, his defense also looked really good!

Showing this much diversity as a scorer proves that Beringer is ahead of schedule offensively and capable of handling real minutes. I briefly mentioned Beringer's putbacks, but in general, his activity on the glass really stood out, with four of his rebounds coming on the offensive end. Beringer didn't force the issue, though -- after grabbing a rebound, he often kicked out to the open man.

This type of awareness and patience is extremely impressive from the young big man. Additionally, Beringer's mobility on both ends of the court really stands out. We saw small flashes that Beringer might be ready to contribute in both his garbage time minutes and play in the G League, but seeing this in meaningful NBA minutes highlights this to a level that can't be ignored.

With Beringer's impressive two-way skill set and the Wolves' need for more center play, there's simply no reason why he shouldn't get regular minutes. Luckily, after a performance like this, it's fair to expect that we'll see a lot more of Beringer from this point on.