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Beringer Makes History, Looks Like Future Star in Final Game as a Rookie

The future appears to be very bright for Timberwolves first-round pick Joan Beringer.
Will Ragatz|
Feb 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Joan Beringer (19) looks on during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Target Center.
Feb 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Joan Beringer (19) looks on during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Target Center. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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On the surface, the numbers from Joan Beringer's rookie season look pretty pedestrian. He played in 40 regular season games and averaged 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks on around eight minutes per game. Nothing really jumps out there from the 17th overall pick in last year's draft.

Of course, that's mostly because he was rarely a part of Chris Finch's rotation this year. Only seven times did he play more than ten minutes in an NBA game. Beringer's per-36 minute averages of 17.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks start to tell more of the story of his future upside.

Extrapolating "garbage time" numbers out to 36 minutes can be a dangerous exercise. But on Sunday night, with the Wolves resting basically their entire playoff rotation in the final game of the regular season, we got an extended glimpse at what Beringer has a chance to become in future years.

In 31 minutes against the Pelicans, Beringer scored 24 points (on 9-of-12 shooting), grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked 7 shots. All of those numbers were easily new career bests. He finished at the rim on offense, attacked the glass on both ends (six offensive boards), and protected the rim on defense. He even shot fairly well from the free throw line, hitting six of his nine attempts.

Joan Beringer
Joan Beringer | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

In the process, Beringer made some NBA history. At 19 years and 152 days old, he's the youngest player ever to have a game with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks. That record was previously held by rookie Anthony Davis (19 years and 243 days) in 2012. Dereck Lively II and Victor Wembanyama are the only other teenagers to ever record a 20/10/5 game in the association.

No one in Timberwolves history, of any age, has ever had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 blocks in a game before Beringer did it on Sunday. When using those three numbers and adding in the 75 percent shooting, this performance was just the 15th of its kind in all of NBA history (or at least as far back as those stats are official).

Beringer doesn't turn 20 until November. He's only been playing basketball competitively since 2021. He's still very much a work in progress, but this was a reminder of his immense long-term potential as a two-way big man with rare athletic fluidity. He's had several games like this at the G League level this season, but to do it in the NBA — even against a bad team like New Orleans — says a lot about the growth he's already experienced since being drafted last summer.

The raw traits are obvious. Beringer is a 6'11" big with the ability to move like a wing. He's got soft hands and touch around the rim on offense, and strong instincts as a defender. His length and leaping ability are tools that can't be taught. As he fills out his frame in the coming years and continues to work on various things — like foul avoidance and screen-setting and general feel for the game — he has a chance to be pretty special.

"There's a lot to polish there, but the motor is high and we've said from day one he's pretty fearless," head coach Chris Finch said. "He's gotta keep learning on the job. He did a good job the last two games of staying out of foul trouble but still being a big presence defensively."

Beringer almost certainly won't see any meaningful playing time this postseason. As soon as next year, though, he could start to carve out a more consistent spot in the rotation. And it's flat-out exciting to dream about what he could look like in, say, the 2029-30 season at 23 years old.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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