Chris Finch’s message on Joan Beringer was clear: the Timberwolves are not going to bail on the young big man just because the preseason got messy.
That matters, because preseason was uneven for the 19-year-old second-year center. Beringer put up 8.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, but he also showed the kind of growing pains you’d expect from a player still learning the league on both ends of the floor.
Finch, who has never exactly been the picture of patience with young players, sounded willing on Sunday to let Beringer work through the rough patches instead of tightening the leash right away.
"Everything's right there for him right now. We know there's going to be some inconsistencies.
There's no doubt about that. We just got to be able to, get through that and to the point where he's more comfortable...
The biggest development is going to be those reps, those live reps that you get time and again," Finch said about Beringer's development.
He went even further when asked whether Beringer would be allowed to play through mistakes.
“Yeah… we need him to play, you know it could be maybe 14 minutes a night, could be 24 minutes a night," Finch said when asked if he'll let Beringer play through the lumps. "That’ll be determined by how he’s playing and we need to be good enough around him in those moments."
That kind of range is the key here. Finch didn’t promise a fixed role, but he did make it sound like Beringer is in line for real rotation minutes rather than the kind of cameo work that does little for development.
And development is the whole point. The Timberwolves need Beringer to grow into something more than a project, because he’s the only true rim protector on the roster outside of Rudy Gobert.
The alternative options are limited. Trey Lyles isn’t a traditional five, but with Finch’s trust in veterans, he could still end up eating into Beringer’s time if the rookie’s play goes sideways.
That’s the balancing act Minnesota is trying to strike. Beringer showed plenty in preseason that made the growing pains hard to ignore: foul trouble, defensive mistakes, and inconsistent touch near the rim.
At the same time, the tools are real. He can rebound, run the floor for lobs, block shots and give the defense some switchability.
Those traits showed up in limited minutes last season, so this isn’t just theory.
The Timberwolves also made big roster decisions with Beringer in mind. They were comfortable trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid, and they passed on signing a true center because of their belief in him.
They also see him as Gobert’s successor. That means the team can’t treat him like an afterthought if he has a rough first week or two.
And, crucially, Beringer needs the minutes. He started playing basketball in 2021, so sitting on the bench isn’t going to fix what’s still raw.
He’s going to have bad nights. Finch basically acknowledged that.
But if the Wolves really want the upside to turn into something dependable, they have to let him play through the noise.
A role around 15 minutes a night would make sense, but Finch’s comments suggest Beringer could get more than that on some nights. What Minnesota seems determined to avoid is burying him under 10 minutes or stringing together only one short stint. That kind of usage would stall the learning curve.
It’s a tricky choice with a team that wants to win now, but the longer view is obvious. The Wolves need Beringer to become a reliable backup behind Gobert, and Finch appears ready to let him earn it on the court rather than from the end of the bench.
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The concern is less about one player carrying the load and more about how the roster fits together after losing size in the frontcourt. Finch wants more help on the glass from the wings and bigger scoring options, and the burden figures to fall on players such as Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards to chip in. Gobert remains an elite rebounder, but Minnesota will need the whole rotation to buy in if it wants to avoid turning a manageable flaw into a playoff problem. [Read more 🡒]