Joan Beringer has done plenty this preseason to keep the buzz around him alive. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ second-year big has posted 7.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks across the team’s first four exhibition games, and he’s flashed the kind of rim protection and finishing touch that made him one of the most intriguing young pieces on the roster.
But there’s one issue that keeps looming over the whole thing: the fouls.
That was the point Jace Frederick made on the Dane Moore NBA Podcast, where he put the warning label right on Beringer’s upside. “I just don’t think Joan Beringer can play 30-plus minutes without fouling out of a basketball game,” Frederick said during an appearance on the Dane Moore NBA Podcast.
“... I think in a 15-minute role, it’s fine because foul trouble, whatever, like maybe you’re sending guys.
It’s not ideal for a guy who’s going to play during the bonus of like the first quarter. But in general, you can survive it because you’re not worried about him fouling out in his role.”
That concern has shown up again this preseason. Beringer has been productive around the rim, and his energy as a runner fits the kind of athleticism Minnesota likes to lean on.
The Timberwolves also took notice of his elite rim protection when they picked him 17th overall in the 2025 draft. Add in his rebounding, which matters for a team replacing Julius Randle and Naz Reid on the glass, and there’s a real case for why the hype has stuck.
Fans saw the long-view appeal a year ago, too. During his rookie season, Beringer averaged just 7.9 minutes per game, but his per-36 production jumped off the page: 17.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.
The problem then was the same one hanging over him now. He averaged 5.4 fouls per 36 minutes, which kept him from carving out real minutes.
This preseason hasn’t exactly cleared that up. At 17.6 minutes per game, Beringer is still committing three fouls a night, which works out to 6.1 fouls per 36 minutes. That undercuts the good signs he’s given Minnesota and could become a real headache once the games start counting.
The timing matters because Beringer may not be on the floor behind Rudy Gobert all season on a fixed script. Gobert has played at least 70 games in each of his first four seasons with the Timberwolves, but he’s also 34, and that could open the door to load-management nights that push Beringer into a bigger role. If the fouls keep piling up, though, Minnesota would be forced to dig deeper.
Rocco Zikarsky is there as a possible fill-in, but the 7-foot-3, 227-pound center has not made much of an impression this preseason. In two exhibition games, he’s averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes. He was a raw second-round pick in 2025 and is on a two-way contract, so the expectation level is limited.
Terrence Shannon Jr. could handle some power forward minutes, and Trey Lyles could be used at center in an emergency. Neither option is ideal, which is why the roster’s lack of size remains a real concern. That issue was a theme through the summer before Jonathan Kuminga joined in free agency.
For the Timberwolves, the path is pretty clear. Beringer has shown enough to matter.
He just has to stay on the floor. If he can clean up the fouls, he can be a real part of Minnesota’s rotation.
If not, the frontcourt picture gets a lot thinner in a hurry.
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