The Timberwolves’ stance on Joan Beringer is starting to look less like a hot take and more like a front-office conviction.
This summer, Minnesota was reportedly unwilling to include Beringer in a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s a loud statement on its own, especially for a 19-year-old who barely logged regular minutes as a rookie.
Then the Wolves made their belief even clearer by trading Naz Reid and Julius Randle this offseason to open up minutes for him. They didn’t just keep him around - they carved out a bigger role.
So when Brian Windhorst said Beringer is “pretty much untouchable” on the Timberwolves, it fit right in with everything that had already happened.
“I think he's (Beringer) pretty much untouchable on that team," Windhorst said during a recent episode of The Hoop Collective.
And it’s easy to see why Minnesota feels that way. Beringer is already giving them real production, and the ceiling is still way above that.
Through seven games, he’s averaging 18.7 minutes, 7.1 points, and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 60.6 percent from the field. He’s been a force on the glass, especially on the offensive end, and his athleticism shows up as a rim runner with strong hands. He’s also holding his own as a defender.
That alone is impressive for a player who is still 19 and didn’t play much as a rookie. It gets even more striking when you remember he only started playing basketball in 2021. He’s already carved out a useful backup role, and there’s plenty of room for the game to keep expanding.
The offensive upside is what really jumps off the page. Beringer already gives Minnesota more on that end than Rudy Gobert in some ways, thanks to his hands, touch, and ability to finish as a rim runner.
He’s also flashed some self-creation and short-roll passing. If that becomes a regular part of his game, the ceiling gets much higher - the kind of higher that starts to look like an All-Star track.
Defensively, he’s not all the way there yet. There have been moments where his positioning slips, and he’s not yet a strong one-on-one stopper.
But those are the kinds of issues teams can live with when the player is this young and this talented. They’re also the kind of problems that can be cleaned up.
One area where that progress is already showing is foul trouble. Beringer averaged 5.4 fouls per 36 minutes last season, which was a fair concern.
This year, he’s down to 3.6 fouls per 36 minutes. That matters.
The best version of Beringer is the one Minnesota is betting on: a disruptive shot-blocker who can switch onto the perimeter and anchor a defense at an All-Defensive level. Add in the offensive growth, and the upside gets enormous.
The fit matters just as much as the talent. Minnesota has an exciting 26-and-under core, and while Gobert is still one of the team’s five best players, he doesn’t line up with that timeline. Beringer gives the Wolves a long-term answer at center.
He also fits cleanly next to LaMelo Ball, who thrives with athletic rim runners. The two already have strong chemistry, and Ball has helped maximize Beringer’s rim-running game. That partnership should only get better.
There’s also the simple reality that the Wolves are built like a team that can contend when healthy. That makes it harder to find a trade that would both fill a need and justify moving Beringer. Minnesota might reconsider if the right player became available, but it would take a very specific deal to change their mind.
And then there’s the contract angle. Quality centers are hard to find, and they’re even harder to find cheaply.
Beringer is productive now, and he’s on his rookie deal for two more full seasons after this. For a team with big ambitions, that’s the kind of asset you don’t casually move.
That’s why “pretty much untouchable” doesn’t sound exaggerated here. It sounds like the Timberwolves know exactly what they have.
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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 🡒]
Joan Beringer Is Starting To Put Rudy Gobert On Notice
Rudy Goberts offensive issues have been hard to ignore for the Timberwolves early this season, and Joan Beringer has started to make the conversation a little more interesting. In limited minutes, the rookie has looked efficient around the basket and has given Minnesota a different kind of spark, the sort that can catch a coachs attention even when the sample size is still small.
Beringer is averaging 18.7 minutes and 7.1 points on 60.6 percent shooting, while Gobert is at 29.9 minutes and 7 points on 41.2 percent shooting. If that trend holds, the bigger question may not be whether Beringer deserves a larger role, but how quickly he can earn it by holding up defensively and giving Chris Finch another trusted option in the rotation. [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 🡒]