The Joan Beringer Thread

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Joan is impressive in defense and the way he understand game. For a 4 year old player, this is quite amazing. Hope Finch give him some minutes at the beginning of the season with Rob. They work together this summer, they have some chemistry building slowly. Mike will help the process but if Joan improve a bit, he could be number 10 in the rotation and earn regular minutes.
I also would like Mike play with Joan. Mike is great for PnR and Joan has much better hands than Rudy.

[BlacJacMac]

Jon K was on Craig Kilborn's podcast and mentioned that he could tell the coaches are more excited than usual about Berringer.

[Klomp]

Jon K was on Craig Kilborn's podcast and mentioned that he could tell the coaches are more excited than usual about Berringer.

I thought that was noteworthy as well. It doesn't necessarily guarantee a role, but I think it's an important first step to establishing trust which then helps nudge the staff towards carving out a role.

[minimus]

I wonder whether Joan can still improve his physical tools. I mean I don't want him to lose his mobility, hence I don't want him to simply add additional 15-20 lbs. I would probably lean more to Tyson Chandler, Joakim Noah, Marcus Camby type of body. He looks already strong enough to battle under rim in NBA, but I'd definitely try to improve lower body strength, build core strength in order to avoid injuries.

I think a big improvement area is footwork, especially footwork specific for basketball.

[KGdaBom]

I wonder whether Joan can still improve his physical tools. I mean I don't want him to lose his mobility, hence I don't want him to simply add additional 15-20 lbs. I would probably lean more to Tyson Chandler, Joakim Noah, Marcus Camby type of body. He looks already strong enough to battle under rim in NBA, but I'd definitely try to improve lower body strength, build core strength in order to avoid injuries.

I think a big improvement area is footwork, especially footwork specific for basketball.

IMO he can easily gain 15 pounds with losing very little mobility or leaping ability. A buff 250 would IMO be his ideal playing weight.

[Klomp]

Read on Twitter

[Klomp]

Read on Twitter

[BlacJacMac]

Which rookie will be the biggest draft steal?
1. Carter Bryant (Spurs, No. 14): 5 votes
2. Joan Beringer (Minnesota Timberwolves, No. 17): 4 votes
3. Kasparas Jakucionis (Miami Heat, No. 20): 2 votes

There was also excitement around Beringer, another defensive-oriented prospect who played well in Las Vegas. The 18-year-old French center has been playing basketball competitively for only four years, but he has demonstrated strong instincts as a shot blocker and lob catcher and played his way into the first round of the draft after entering last season as a lesser-known talent. Beringer drew late lottery interest but ended up falling to the Timberwolves after three centers -- Derik Queen, Thomas Sorber and Yang -- were selected in the four picks preceding him at No. 17. He'll be an understudy to countryman and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert next season.

"[Beringer] could turn out to be a top-five player in this draft," the Eastern Conference GM said. "Upside is through the roof, and he doesn't even know how to play yet. He is also in a perfect situation where he can learn and grow from all of their bigs."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45807536/2025-nba-draft-executives-debate-espn-poll-rookies-year-best-picks-summer-league

[KGdaBom]

Which rookie will be the biggest draft steal?
1. Carter Bryant (Spurs, No. 14): 5 votes
2. Joan Beringer (Minnesota Timberwolves, No. 17): 4 votes
3. Kasparas Jakucionis (Miami Heat, No. 20): 2 votes

There was also excitement around Beringer, another defensive-oriented prospect who played well in Las Vegas. The 18-year-old French center has been playing basketball competitively for only four years, but he has demonstrated strong instincts as a shot blocker and lob catcher and played his way into the first round of the draft after entering last season as a lesser-known talent. Beringer drew late lottery interest but ended up falling to the Timberwolves after three centers -- Derik Queen, Thomas Sorber and Yang -- were selected in the four picks preceding him at No. 17. [b]He'll be an understudy to countryman and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert[/b] next season.

"[Beringer] could turn out to be a top-five player in this draft," the Eastern Conference GM said. "Upside is through the roof, and he doesn't even know how to play yet. He is also in a perfect situation where he can learn and grow from all of their bigs."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45807536/2025-nba-draft-executives-debate-espn-poll-rookies-year-best-picks-summer-league

That's 4 time DPotY Rudy Gobert.

[minimus]

I asked ChatGPT about raw, 18–19-year-old rookie big men who played significant roles in the regular season for good NBA teams — and unsurprisingly, there aren’t many cases:
- 18 y.o. Andrew Bynum — 7.3 MPG for the Lakers
- 18 y.o. Jermaine O’Neal — 10.2 MPG for a rebuilding Blazers team
- 18 y.o. Darko Miličić — ~5 MPG for a championship Pistons squad
- 20 y.o. Serge Ibaka — 18.1 MPG for 50-win OKC (2009–10)
- 20 y.o. Kevon Looney — 8.4 MPG for championship GSW (2016–17)
- 19 y.o. Alperen Şengün — 20.7 MPG for Houston (2021–22)
- 19 y.o. Dwight Howard — 32.6 MPG (!) for Orlando (2004–05)
- 19 y.o. Victor Wembanyama — 29.7 MPG for San Antonio (2023–24)
- 19 y.o. Andrew Bynum (2nd year) — 22.0 MPG for the Lakers (2006–07)
- 20 y.o. Nic Claxton — 18.0 MPG for Brooklyn (KD, Harden, Kyrie era, 2020–21)

Takeaways:
First, historically, it’s rare for 18–19-year-old bigs to contribute meaningfully. Real impact usually starts at age 19–20 — even for top prospects.
Second, factors that make NBA adaptation easier:
- Elite physical tools — (Howard, Wemby, Bynum, Ibaka)
- High IQ and instincts — (Şengün, Wemby)
- Clearly defined roles next to superstars — (Ibaka, Looney, Claxton)
Finally, in almost every case, teams prioritized development over immediate production.

That brings me to Beringer:

He checks important boxes — elite physical tools, strong instincts, and he’s surrounded by stars who can handle the heavy lifting. He’ll also have mentors (Gobert, Reid, Randle) to guide his development. What remains to be seen is whether Finch and the Wolves can give him a clearly defined role within both the offensive and defensive systems this season.

Personally, I don’t expect it to happen consistently this year. I think his minutes will come in garbage time or “break glass in case of emergency” games when Gobert, Randle, or Reid are out. But starting next season, if his development stays on track, I could definitely see Finch giving 10–15 quality minutes a night to Joan — especially if the team continues to invest in him as a long-term piece.