The Timberwolves have a real rotation conversation brewing in the frontcourt, and Joan Beringer is the reason why.
Rudy Gobert’s offense has been a problem for Minnesota early this season. He has had trouble finishing with force and has struggled to secure passes, even if he did bounce back against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The bigger picture still points to an uneven start, and Beringer has taken advantage.
Through seven games, Beringer is averaging 18.7 minutes, 7.1 points on 60.6 percent shooting from the field. Gobert, meanwhile, is at 29.9 minutes and 7 points on 41.2 percent shooting from the field. That gap matters, and if Beringer keeps trending up, it will keep shrinking.
There’s still no realistic path to Gobert falling below the 20-to-24 minute range, especially because his defense and rim protection remain such an important part of what Minnesota does. But the minutes split could tighten, and Beringer has a chance to close games more often if his play keeps climbing.
The offensive case for Beringer is easy to see. His athleticism changes the pace, his ability to run the floor in transition gives the Wolves another gear, and his hands have already made life easier for the offense. Teams are treating him like a more credible scoring threat, and that opens things up for everyone else.
He has also shown flashes of creating for himself and scoring off the dribble. If that becomes a more regular part of his game, his ceiling rises fast. He’s a freaky athlete, so it’s not hard to imagine that becoming a bigger piece of his offensive package.
That said, Gobert still owns the defensive edge by a wide margin. No matter how the rest of the season unfolds, he’s still the better defender. For Beringer to keep winning more trust from Chris Finch, he has to sharpen up on that end.
The main issues are pretty clear: better positioning, less over-helping, and stronger one-on-one defense. Those are fixable areas, and he hasn’t been a disaster there so far. But they matter because Beringer is already ahead of Gobert offensively, which makes his defensive growth the key to earning a larger role.
The sample is small, but the Wolves have been 21.7 points worse per 100 possessions with Beringer on the floor. That’s the kind of number that makes defensive cleanup especially important if he wants more minutes.
Still, the start has been encouraging. If Beringer keeps building on it and tightens up defensively, he’ll cut further into Gobert’s minutes and become an even bigger part of Minnesota’s rotation.
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For a team that has already felt how thin the margin can be when the rotation gets hit, any sign of progress from DiVincenzo matters. His eventual return is viewed as a potential boost to Minnesotas backcourt depth and overall competitiveness, and the latest outlook at least gives the Timberwolves reason to think the wait may not be as long or as uncertain as it once seemed. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Are Making A Bold Long Term Bet On Joan Beringer
Joan Beringer is only 19, but the Timberwolves are already treating him like a piece worth protecting. The backup big man has flashed real upside early in the season, showing more polish on offense, a knack for rebounding and the kind of defensive potential that can matter in the right system. Minnesota has also made room for him, clearing minutes by moving other players and signaling that his development is part of the plan rather than an afterthought.
For a team trying to build around a young core, that kind of commitment says plenty about how the front office sees his future. Beringer is not just another promising reserve getting a longer look, he is being positioned as a long-term fit with the group. The bigger question now is how far Minnesota is willing to go to keep that belief intact as the rest of the league starts to notice. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Backcourt Suddenly Faces More Uncertainty Before Bucks Game
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LaMelo Ball was also added as questionable with a right wrist contusion, while Terrence Shannon Jr. is listed as questionable with a left hip contusion, adding another layer of uncertainty to the rotation. Minnesota has already had to think about Balls foul trouble after the recent game, with Chris Finch and Rudy Gobert both addressing how it affected the flow, and now the Wolves may need a different answer again before tipoff. [Read more 🡒]