With Julius Randle and Naz Reid out of town, second-year big man Joan Beringer will get a sizable role in the Minnesota Timberwolves' rotation this upcoming season. Barring any major roster changes, Beringer is set to play in just about every second that Rudy Gobert is off the court. Beringer showcased his impressive upside in limited opportunities as a rookie.
Yet the question remains: Can Beringer be an everyday rotation player on a winning team? NBA Summer League is far from the end-all be-all.
Still, if Beringer can dominate in summer league as a second-year player starting on Thursday, then it's safe to say some of these concerns about his ability to play a meaningful role will be less relevant. Conversely, if Beringer struggles a bit during summer league, it's fair to suggest that he might not be ready for a bigger role, which would undoubtedly be alarming as the Wolves' roster dictates the need for him to play.
There are two main areas where Beringer needs to show growth: defensive discipline and offensive polish. Going up against lesser competition in summer league, Beringer should be able to excel, but if he doesn't, some uncomfortable conversations might have to be had.
Despite his clear talent and upside, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that Beringer struggles to some level at summer league. After all, he is still just 19 years old and started playing basketball in 2021. Regardless, the Wolves are counting on him for minutes, and they better hope that he shows he's ready for this role.
Joan Beringer can definitively prove he's ready for a bigger role by showing growth in key areas
Beringer has All-Defensive-level potential. He is a gifted athlete who thrives at protecting the rim and blocking shots. Furthermore, he is a highly switchable defender. This is something that we'll get to see more of at summer league since Beringer will be playing alongside fellow second-year big man Rocco Zikarsky.
With that being said, Beringer can get block-happy at times, which often caused him to get into foul trouble during his limited minutes last season. Most notably, Beringer averaged 5.4 fouls per 36 minutes as a rookie.
It will be vital for Beringer to show more discipline and the ability to balance out chasing big plays with simply playing straight-up defense. Frankly, if this remains an area that Beringer struggles with at summer league, it's fair to be concerned about how he'll handle a bigger role in the NBA.
To me, defensive discipline is the biggest area of growth for Beringer to display in summer league. However, I'd like to also see a bit more polish from Beringer's offensive game.
Overall, Beringer was further along in this department as a rookie than I anticipated. He averaged 17.9 points per 36 minutes, while converting on 66.3 percent of his field goal attempts. Beringer proved to be a rock-solid rim runner who performed well against some quality competition, including the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks (with Giannis Antetokounmpo).
Nevertheless, Beringer also had some moments where he struggled, including a 4-for-10 showing against the Orlando Magic. Beyond simply being an ultra-efficient rim runner, I'd like to see if he has some offensive skill as a scorer outside of the rim. No, I don't think he'll start draining 3s in summer league, but can he drive to the rim a bit more or even take some mid-range jumpers?
On a similar note, passing is a clear area of growth I'd like to see from Beringer. He recorded just 12 assists to 11 turnovers last season. Look, he'll never be Nikola Jokic, but being able to pass on the short roll or be used as a dribble hand-off hub are two vital skills for modern centers.
Adding this type of diversity to his offensive arsenal could surely help him thrive more with an increased role.
At the end of the day, I do feel confident that Beringer will have a stellar summer league, given the promise he showed as a rookie.
Even if Beringer excels in summer league, the proof will be in the pudding this regular season, but his play in Las Vegas will give everyone a better sense of just how ready he is for an increased role.
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