Minnesota seemingly made a selection for the future with the No. 17 pick in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday when it nabbed French center Joan Beringer.
The 18 year old defensive stopper is relatively inexperienced and still an evolving player, but he’s another key piece to Minnesota’s developing youthful core building on the bench who can learn from fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert.
What did national analysts think of the selection?
Draft grades varied:
What they said: The future of the frontcourt in Minnesota is in flux, and the franchise took a step toward adding some clarity by adding Beringer, arguably the best shot blocker in this draft class.
Beringer has a 9-3 standing reach and won’t turn 19 until November. It’s hard to think of a better mentor for a young, French shot blocker than Rudy Gobert, meaning Beringer has fallen into a great situation.
What they said: He’s very young. He doesn’t turn 19 until November and has only played for a few years. But he’s just under 7-feet without shoes and has better than a 7-foot-4 wingspan. He’s an extreme athlete with excellent mobility and good hands. His archetype is a rim-running shot blocker and lob threat. That’s very valued in today’s NBA. In Minnesota, Beringer gets to learn under Rudy Gobert — and could potentially take over for him a few years down the road. That’s a great succession plan at the center spot.
What they said: This was the Timberwolves picking the best player they saw on the board rather than thinking fit — Minnesota doesn’t really have a need for another center right now. Beringer is a bit of a project, but he showed potential as a shot-blocking, rim-running big in the Adriatic League last season. He has good athleticism and the Timberwolves can play the long game with him and give him time to develop.
What they said: He’s one of the rawest projects in the entire draft. Makes you wonder what the Wolves’ plan is with the other bigs on the roster, notably Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Beringer dunks everything around the basket. He’s a rim protector and has shown improvement in other aspects of his defense. An area he’ll need to improve on is he was a hackable player you didn’t fear sending to the free-throw line. He’s a worker, though, and wants to get better.
What they said: The issue with Rudy Gobert is that his offensive game can be inconsistent. And Minnesota’s consecutive trips to the Western Conference finals proved that the Timberwolves need more scoring, particularly when teams game plan to take Anthony Edwards out of rhythm. Joan Beringer is only 18, so he’s a project and doesn’t necessarily help Minnesota get over the hump in the short term. He’s explosive and full of potential. Minnesota’s window to win, however, is now, and plenty of plug-and-play prospects were available at 17.
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