Anthony Edwards was asked early in camp for his impressions of the Timberwolves’ rookies.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Joan Beringer (19) takes a free throw during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
Of rookie center Joan Beringer he said, “Joan don’t stop playing hard. He just don’t get tired. So, stuff like that. He’s just got a nonstop motor. I think that’s going to push him to the next level.”
That has been a common refrain regarding the No. 17 overall pick in this summer’s NBA draft. Beringer, 18, has only been playing basketball for four years, and was competing professionally in Slovenia last season. But he has already able to contribute defense and, most emphatically, everyday energy in training camp.
Fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert discussed the challenges that come with transitioning from a different country to the United States as a rookie, and his hopes to help Beringer navigate those waters. But in terms of on-court success, Gobert said, “I think it’s going to be about how hard he’s willing to work and who he thinks he can become as a player.”
“From what I’ve seen,” Gobert said, “I’m not really worried about it.”
The commitment to the craft is evident. You don’t make such a meteoric rise in a sport without it.
“He has opened a lot of our eyes with his strong play this summer and his work ethic,” Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said.
“I think he’s a real NBA player. I mean, there’s no doubt about that,” Wolves coach Chris Finch added. “I think he has got an extremely bright future.”
The light just may not shine frequently this season. As excited as Minnesota is about Beringer and his potential as a backline defender, the reality of the current rotation still exists.
“The way we’re constructed, he plays behind three really quality bigs,” Finch said. “So I think patience out of the gate is key.”
Finch added that Beringer could see playing time via “situational opportunities.” Certainly, an injury to any of Minnesota’s three big men — Gobert, Julius Randle or Naz Reid — would open up minutes Beringer could potentially seize.
“You never know,” Finch said. “We’re certainly going to try to find opportunities to play him.”
Youth development is a forte of Finch’s. That doesn’t always come in the form of on-court minutes, which frustrates segments of the fan base. But the coach has a track record of molding young players into valuable assets.
“He’s so good at identifying what players are good at,” Connelly said, “and allowing them to build off that developmental path.”
At their proper pace. Beringer noted the speed and physicality of Minnesota’s preseason games have been eye-openers. He was thrown into the deep end, already combatting opposing centers such as Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas and Karl-Anthony Towns.
But each outing provides an opportunity to learn and grow. Beringer seems eager to do both.
“Valanciunas was very, very strong, I think it’s a really good experience for me to play against this type of player, because when I was in Slovenia last year, I never played against this type of player,” Beringer said. “I really enjoy. I really, really learn about every game and every player I have in front of me. It’s really, really good for me.”
Finch called Beringer’s IQ and feel “outstanding” for his experience level. He loves that the rookie is too new to the sport to have developed bad habits the team needs to break, and noted that Beringer has sometimes been bogged down by thinking too much. Finch called that “normal rookie stuff.”
“It’ll come back to being instinctual. He has done a great job of picking up everything as fast as it’s coming at him,” the coach added. “We always have to slow down a little bit and check how much English he’s really absorbing in the moment. But we have (assistant coach Kevin Hanson) working with him, and there’s no better coach there. So, we’re pleased.”
Finch said there are things Beringer needs to add to be able to do more within the Timberwolves’ system, but added that time will come. This is a development process, but all parties seem satisfied with its current trajectory.
Connelly said Beringer has “just an amazing story.”
He’s enjoying each chapter, and already knows how he wants it to end.
“I want to be one of the best players in the league, be the best defender,” Beringer said. “This is my goal. Every day, I wake up for it.”
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