Joan Beringer has given Timberwolves fans plenty to dream on, but the early read comes with a pretty obvious warning label: the talent is real, and so are the growing pains.
The flashes jump off the screen. Beringer has already shown the kind of defensive instincts, vertical pop and finishing ability that make him look like he can change a game in a hurry.
In the preseason opener against the Milwaukee Bucks, he looked every bit like the kind of big man Minnesota wants to develop - the high-flying putback, the feel for space, the rim protection, all of it. His line from that game said as much: 12 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block in 15 minutes.
Still, the rough edges have shown up just as fast. Foul trouble has followed him early, and head coach Chris Finch made that plain after the Bucks game.
"He's gotta learn," head coach Chris Finch said after the preseason opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. Beringer found himself in foul trouble, as he has done so often early on in his career.
"It's going to be a work in progress," Finch added. In this case, progress may look like three steps forward, two back-an ascension nonetheless.
That theme has already repeated itself in short order. After the Milwaukee game, Beringer struggled again against the Indiana Pacers in Hilton Coliseum, finishing with two points and a -8 while he was on the floor. The defensive issues that have tripped him up before were on display once more.
At media day in late September, Beringer acknowledged the challenge in his own words.
"Last season, I had some games where I did so many fouls," he said at media day in late September. "I just learn to manage my effort on the court and be smarter in defense...showing that I learn and that I'm ready to play."
He answered back in the next game against the Miami Heat, putting up 10 points, finishing plus-16 and blocking four shots. That kind of swing is exactly what makes his preseason such a mixed bag - one night he looks overwhelming, the next he disappears because the fouls pile up or the positioning slips.
Minnesota seems prepared for that reality. Beringer is stepping into a larger role as the backup big man behind Rudy Gobert, and the early games have already hinted that his season may be defined by those waves of production and frustration. Coaches around the Wolves have praised how quickly he picks things up, but learning the league still takes time, and that process can be messy.
The upside is easy to see. So is the reason the hype needs to be handled carefully.
Beringer’s season is likely to feature the full range: putback dunks, lob finishes, blocked shots, and stretches where he sits because he can’t stay vertical. If he can smooth that out over a full season, the Wolves may wind up with something they haven’t had before.
"Last season, I had some games where I did so many fouls," he said at media day in late September. "I just learn to manage my effort on the court and be smarter in defense...showing that I learn and that I'm ready to play."
And as Beringer put it at media day when talking about his first practice with LaMelo, the lob threat has already been obvious.
"The first practice I had with [LaMelo], he threw me so many lobs, I had never seen it before," he said at media day.
For now, the message is clear: the ceiling is real, but so is the learning curve.
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