The Timberwolves can probably count on Joan Beringer to hold down a regular-season backup role behind Rudy Gobert. The real test, though, is a much harsher one: can he survive playoff basketball?
That’s the part that hangs over Minnesota’s season. Beringer is still raw, but playing about 15 minutes a night is a manageable assignment for a young big with his athleticism and rim-running ability. The problem is that what looks fine from October through April doesn’t always translate when the games tighten up.
That warning sign is everywhere in playoff history. Jalen Duren was an All-NBA player in the regular season before turning into a pumpkin in the playoffs.
Neemias Queta offers another cautionary tale for a player with some of the same traits as Beringer: athletic, active around the rim, and prone to foul trouble. Queta looked like he had cleaned that up during last season’s regular season, then fell right back into old habits in the playoffs, averaging 4.1 fouls and becoming borderline unplayable in the Celtics’ first-round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
So yes, Beringer can absolutely have a strong regular season and still leave the bigger question unanswered.
That matters because the Timberwolves have championship aspirations, and one of their seven most important players is an unproven 19-year-old. Okay, fine, he'll be 20 in November-does that make you feel better?
There’s real hope here, and long term, plenty to like. But Minnesota is also asking a lot of him. If he’s a key part of the rotation and then struggles in high-leverage playoff minutes, that’s a hard pill to swallow for a team built to chase a title.
The bench situation only sharpens the concern. Right now, Beringer and Trey Lyles are the only bigs coming off the bench.
Lyles is better suited to power forward and doesn’t bring much rim protection, which means Minnesota’s non-Gobert minutes could get dicey fast if Beringer can’t handle the job. Even a stretch of 12 to 15 shaky playoff minutes could swing a series.
That’s how thin the margin gets in the postseason.
And there are some obvious reasons to worry. Foul trouble is the biggest one. Beringer averaged an absurd 5.4 fouls per 100 possessions, and he ranked in the third percentile for foul percentage per Cleaning the Glass.
There’s a path where that gets cleaned up in the regular season. In a 15-minute role, maybe it’s not a huge issue.
But the playoffs are different. Teams hunt matchups, game plans get sharper, and every weakness gets picked at until it breaks.
Can Beringer defend without fouling when offenses come after him? That’s still an open question.
Size is another problem. Beringer has added weight, but it remains to be seen how he’ll hold up against bigger, more physical centers, especially with the foul issues already in the mix.
That could matter right away depending on Minnesota’s first-round opponent. The Wolves will likely face one of the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, or Los Angeles Lakers, and that means Beringer could end up matched with Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, or Walker Kessler at some point.
The Wolves can try to stagger minutes, but that’s easier said than done. Against Houston, in particular, the issue gets even trickier because the Rockets have two quality centers.
He’ll also need to do a better job on the defensive glass. Beringer brings a strong motor, but he ranked in the 10th percentile for defensive rebounding percentage per Cleaning the Glass last season.
Maybe none of this ends up mattering because Beringer is simply that good. His athleticism, rim-running, and shot-blocking give him a real ceiling. But it’s a big ask for a second-year player who barely played as a rookie to hold down such an important bench role on a team with title hopes, especially when he only started playing basketball in 2021.
For Minnesota, being a solid backup in the regular season won’t be enough. They need Beringer to be ready when the playoffs arrive.
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What stands out so far is how naturally Ball has begun fitting into the room, with teammates sounding encouraged by the way he has blended into the group in the opening stages. Chris Finch has also pointed to the positive effect Ball has had on the team, a promising development for a club that needs its new pieces to click quickly if it wants this move to change the shape of its offense. [Read more 🡒]