It would have been a stretch to expect Joan Beringer to walk into his first real NBA minutes and look polished from day one. He’s still only a second-year big man, won’t turn 20 until November 11, and didn’t even start playing basketball until 2021.
So the bar for the Minnesota Timberwolves was never perfection. It was something simpler: give them solid backup center minutes and grow into the role. Through seven games, that’s exactly what Beringer has done.
He’s averaging 18.7 minutes, 7.1 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 60.6 percent from the field. There have been a few rough spots, sure, but the overall package has been useful. For a player this early in his development, that counts for a lot.
A big part of Beringer’s value has come from pure activity. He’s been one of the league’s best offensive rebounders, pulling down 3.4 offensive boards per game.
Cleaning the Glass has him in the 100th percentile for offensive rebounding percentage. That kind of work on the glass has created extra chances for Minnesota and turned into easy looks for Beringer himself.
He’s also been a real weapon in transition and around the rim. Beringer runs the floor well, has reliable hands and gives the Timberwolves a lob target with his bounce. In that sense, he’s brought more offensive pop than Rudy Gobert, and with Gobert struggling, Beringer could end up seeing even more run because of the juice he adds.
The defensive side has been more uneven, but not in a way that should raise alarms. His foul rate has improved, dropping to 3.6 fouls per 36 minutes from 5.4 last season.
His block numbers are down, but that comes with a more controlled approach. He’s also held his own when switching.
Where he still has work to do is in one-on-one defense, especially against stronger players, and he’s had some moments where he drifted out of position. Those are normal growing pains for a player this early in his NBA life.
Saturday night offered his toughest assignment yet. With Gobert injured, Beringer got the start against a San Antonio Spurs team led by Victor Wembanyama. The matchup was a major test, and Beringer answered with 12 points, five offensive rebounds and two assists.
Wembanyama still went off for 43 points with Beringer as his primary defender, and that’s not exactly something many players are going to avoid. Beringer didn’t shut him down, but he also didn’t spend the night making costly mistakes. If anything, Chris Finch probably should have leaned on more double coverage.
What stood out most was Beringer’s effort. He kept coming, kept competing and never let the challenge rattle him.
That matters. Even in a game where he wasn’t perfect, he showed he can hold up against elite competition without becoming a liability.
Seven games in, Beringer’s transition to regular NBA minutes looks like it’s on track. There’s still plenty of room for him to improve on both ends, but the Timberwolves are getting the kind of impact they had every reason to hope for.
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