It's time for the Wolves to give rookie Joan Beringer a real opportunity

The Timberwolves might not have to look far for a solution to their immense defensive struggles during minutes where Rudy Gobert is off the floor. Sure, they could trade for a rim-protecting center before the Feb. 5 deadline. But before considering that, how about giving a real opportunity to rookie big man Joan Beringer?

Beringer, the 17th overall pick in last June's draft, has thus far spent his first year in organization as one of the Wolves' reserves who plays only in garbage time. He's appeared sparingly in 12 games and has averaged 1.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks in 4.4 minutes per contest. He's also played in seven games for the G League's Iowa Wolves, where he's averaged 11.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game.

When the Wolves drafted Beringer, they knew they were getting a long-term developmental project. The France native just turned 19 in November and has only been playing competitive basketball since 2021. They were enamored with the future upside of a player with his size, length, quickness, and explosive leaping ability as a two-way big man.

Beringer's skills were immediately on display when he put up 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 blocks in his NBA Summer League debut. But he was up and down over the rest of Summer League and into preseason action, and it was obvious that he wasn't going to be part of the Timberwolves' rotation when the regular season began.

It's now January, though. Beringer has been practicing with the team for months. He seems to be getting better, if his most recent performance in the G League is any indication. On Sunday, he scored 14 points (on 7 of 7 shooting) and added 13 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 steals. Some of Beringer's buckets were dunks or layups, but he also showed some impressive touch on a few push/hook shots from a few feet away. And as we've seen since Summer League, his combination of wingspan and vertical leap allows him to block shots in spectacular fashion.

Joan Beringer 14 points, 13 rebounds, 7 stocks, 7/7 field goals against the Sioux Falls Skyforce: pic.twitter.com/7N8yEfXGRr
— Emiliano (@EmilianoNaiar8) January 5, 2026

Beringer has since been recalled by the Timberwolves. And with less than a month until the trade deadline, this feels like a good time to give the rookie his first opportunity at competitive minutes. Maybe it won't work out and he'll be in over his head, with poor positioning on offense and too many fouls on defense. But if that's the case, that would at least be useful information for Chris Finch, Tim Connelly, and the Wolves.

And maybe it would work. Maybe Beringer wouldn't be in over his head in a limited role off the bench. There's a world where he could address the Wolves' biggest need, which is rim protection and overall defense when Gobert is off the floor. Their defensive rating when Rudy isn't playing is horrific, and it's hard to imagine Beringer not providing a huge lift over the frontcourt pairing of Julius Randle and Naz Reid on that end. He's obviously nowhere near the offensive player either of those guys are, but they don't play the same position. Beringer could do some of what Gobert does by setting screens and running to the rim and battling for offensive rebounds.

In our view, it makes a lot of sense to sprinkle Beringer into the rotation and see what he can do. And Timberwolves insider Jon Krawczynski thinks it might happen before long, which is notable.

May not be far away
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) January 6, 2026

Finch is focused on winning games during a tough January stretch for Minnesota, and he's often hesitant to expand his rotation or give young players opportunities. But giving Beringer 8-10 minutes a night might just help the winning cause more than it would hurt it.

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