Beringer Shines in Gobert’s Absence, Offers Glimpse of Timberwolves’ Future
With Rudy Gobert sidelined due to his sixth flagrant foul point of the season, the Timberwolves faced a daunting task: how do you replace one of the league’s premier defensive anchors, especially against a powerhouse like Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks?
The answer, at least for one night, came from deep down the bench-and his name is Beringer.
A Breakout Night for the Rookie
In a game that turned into a 33-point rout of the Bucks, Beringer didn’t just hold his own-he made a statement. The 19-year-old big man delivered 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, grabbed five boards, and finished with a staggering +30 plus-minus, the second-highest mark on the team. That’s not just solid production-it’s impact basketball.
From the moment he checked in at the 4:39 mark of the first quarter, Beringer helped flip the game on its head. The Wolves’ lead ballooned from three to 22 during his stint, and the energy shifted with it. Minnesota never looked back.
What stood out wasn’t just his numbers, but how he got them. He showed poise, touch, and a surprising offensive bag for a rookie center.
His first bucket? A running floater through contact.
Moments later, he went right at Giannis-his favorite player, no less-catching the ball on the left side of the rim and finishing a crafty reverse on the right. That’s not the kind of move you expect from a 6-foot-11 rookie in his first meaningful NBA minutes.
Filling the Gobert-Sized Void
Let’s be clear: Rudy Gobert has been a defensive monster this season. He’s anchoring the Wolves’ top-tier defense and is very much in the mix for what would be a record-breaking fifth Defensive Player of the Year award. The numbers back it up-Minnesota is a whopping 15 points per 100 possessions better defensively when Gobert is on the floor, a figure that lands in the 100th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.
When he’s not out there, though? It’s been a different story.
Teams have attacked the paint relentlessly, and the Wolves have struggled to find a reliable defensive presence behind him. They've leaned on smaller frontcourt combinations-most notably Julius Randle and Naz Reid-but while that duo can put up points, they’ve offered little resistance at the rim.
That’s been a glaring issue all season.
Enter Beringer.
He might be just 19, but he’s already showing flashes of the kind of rim protection Minnesota desperately needs when Gobert sits. He’s long, mobile, and relentless around the basket-traits that mirror his fellow Frenchman. If he can consistently bring that kind of energy and defensive presence, the Wolves may have found their answer for those non-Gobert minutes.
A Glimpse of What’s to Come
What makes Beringer’s emergence even more intriguing is the lineup flexibility it could unlock. If he continues to earn minutes, it opens the door for some towering frontcourt combinations-imagine Reid sliding to the three, with Beringer and another big man patrolling the paint. That’s a lot of size and length to deal with, and it could give Minnesota a unique edge on both ends of the floor.
But it’s not just the defense. Beringer’s offensive instincts are ahead of schedule.
He’s got soft hands, a developing touch, and isn’t afraid to finish through contact. That’s a rare mix for a young big, and it’s what makes his potential so tantalizing.
For now, the Timberwolves will welcome any help they can get behind Gobert. But if Beringer keeps stacking performances like this one, Minnesota might not just be solving a short-term problem-they could be laying the foundation for their future at center.
And if you’re a Timberwolves fan, that future just got a whole lot more exciting.