Joan Beringer is like the wickedly smart freshman in high school who loves school, always has his hand raised in class, and is already taking college-level algebra.
He’s a teenager, but instead of trying to solve for X, Beringer, 19, is learning the Xs and Os of NBA basketball. The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted him 17th overall after he spent two seasons playing professionally in Slovenia. The 6-foot-11 big man, originally from France, started playing basketball at 15. He learned how to speak English in roughly eight months, and now he’s enrolled in the highest level of basketball.
The Wolves knew it was likely going to be a long process before Beringer would be rotation-ready when they drafted him. They also knew he was incredibly dedicated to the game and a super-fast learner. After a private workout in a Chicago suburb shortly before the draft, Tim Connelly saw something special in Beringer.
Three months into his rookie year, Joan Beringer has not seen meaningful minutes in the NBA. But behind the scenes of a 26-14 start for the Timberwolves, Beringer has remained an advanced learner as the tests thrown in front of him become more difficult.
Minnesota could have drafted-and-stashed Beringer, keeping him overseas to continue learning the nuances of basketball, much like the Wolves did with Leandro Balmaro in 2020, whom they selected with the 23rd pick. Instead, however, the Wolves brought Beringer over immediately and had him participate in the Summer League.
That was like his NBA placement test, if you will.
Immediately, Beringer impressed in Las Vegas, recording 11 points, eight rebounds, and six blocks in his first Summer League game. Throughout the Summer League, Beringer continued to get questions correct. He was raw, but Joan showed off his unique athleticism and mobility on both ends, along with a burning passion to improve.
“He wants to be great,” said Wolves assistant coach Max Lefevre. “Super receptive to coaching. He’s always asking questions — really good questions. Obviously, [he is] super raw. … We just have to make sure we cover the basics first. … But he is just getting things done with pure talent and athleticism. But again, super receptive to coaching.”
The Summer League — comprised of mostly young, unproven players — isn’t comparable to regular-season basketball. The product in Las Vegas is sloppy, the degree of difficulty is lower, and the pace is frenetic. Still, Beringer passed his first test.
Pace of play is something all rookies seem to notice. For a guy like Joan Beringer, who had zero experience playing in America, the speed of the NBA — both on the court and in how quickly players speak — was a steep learning curve.
“[The basketball here in general] is totally different,” Beringer told FOX 9 a few weeks after the draft. “For me, it’s faster. Everything is fast. Also, when I played in Slovenia, English was not the native language. But here, everybody speaks very fast.”
Fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert has undoubtedly helped Beringer acclimatize to American basketball in practice, which was one of the many pros of having Beringer around the club. Joan wants to follow in Gobert’s footsteps. The rookie seeks to one day hoist multiple Defensive Player of the Year trophies.
“I don’t want to put a limit on my potential,” Beringer said at media day. “I want to be, like, one of the best players of the league. Like, be the best defender. This is my goal, and every day I wake up for it.”
Beringer is sedulous in the practice facility, which is the behind-the-scenes work that is incredibly important for a young player to develop. Ultimately, though, live-game reps against real competition are the type of tests that are even more vital.
After Beringer logged six points, four rebounds, and one block in eight garbage-time minutes during the Timberwolves’ 120-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks on November 17, Finch liked what he saw in Joan’s early development.
“He’s right on path,” said Finch. “Right now, it’s a bonus when we can get him these types of minutes. You can see him get a little more comfortable with the speed of the game. The recognition. The physicality. All of that kind of stuff just takes reps. But we love where he’s at. … Keep bringing him along slow. He’ll probably head down to Iowa at some point here so he can get some real good run.”
The Timberwolves optioned Beringer to their G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, for the first time in early December. It was the biggest, most challenging test yet for Beringer — the first of many “mid-terms” in his NBA career.
Joan Beringer has played seven games in the G-League, averaging 11.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks on 57.6% shooting in 27.5 minutes. Offensively, Beringer has displayed a skillset similar to Gobert’s — an above-the-rim threat who runs the floor well and operates effectively out of the pick-and-roll. But defensively, Beringer’s unique versatility has been on full display.
Before switching to basketball, Beringer played soccer, and that experience shows up in his snappy foot speed on defense. When switched onto smaller players, Beringer stays in front well, and when they get around him, he remains connected, thanks to that foot speed. Add that to his athleticism and shot-blocking ability, and the Wolves have the type of versatile, long defender in the making that is needed in the modern NBA.
“Every minute for a guy like Joan is valuable,” Chris Finch said last week. “What he is doing down in the G-League right now is super exciting. And to have him come up here, and in the short minutes that he gets, make an impact, that’s what you want. He’s doing his homework, and he’s getting good grades.”
Beringer has maximized every opportunity this year, however big or small. He was impactful in the G-League and continued to improve. In his most recent game with Iowa, Beringer recorded 14 points on 7 of 7 shooting, 13 rebounds, five blocks, and one steal in 33 minutes of action. And with the big-league club, Beringer continues to make an impact in garbage minutes.
In three minutes on Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Beringer scored six points on 3 of 3 shooting and grabbed two rebounds. And before that, against the Miami Heat last week, Joan also recorded 6 points and 2 rebounds in 5 minutes.
While Beringer has been grinding away at his homework, the Timberwolves have earned a top-four seed in the Western Conference. They are 16-6 since Thanksgiving, the NBA’s best record in that span. Still, they are struggling to defend without Gobert on the floor, and a backup big man is on the list of needs as the February 5 trade deadline approaches.
Minnesota could use Beringer’s skill set in the rotation. We won’t truly know if he is ready for that role until he gets a shot at meaningful minutes. Perhaps that will happen soon. Maybe the Wolves have a game or two in which they are missing Julius Randle and/or Gobert, allowing Beringer to step up. Or maybe Finch will call the rookie’s number during a game where the Wolves are struggling to defend.
But for now, Joan Beringer — still a young talent in a class far more difficult than most his age — continues to do his homework and get good grades on the tests.