Joan Beringer does something even die-hard Timberwolves fans didn’t expect

On Saturday, rookie Joan Beringer played more than seven minutes of the fourth quarter for the Minnesota Timberwolves. It probably would have been even more had the 19-year-old not picked up his fifth foul in the final eight-second stanza.

They weren’t bad minutes either. Minnesota entered the fourth-place match against the San Antonio Spurs trailing by 12, in a game they ultimately lost by three (were down 25 at halftime). Beringer facing a lawsuit with the game still in question would have seemed unfathomable just a week ago.

Joan Beringer played in clutch time on Saturday

Now, it should be mentioned that Saturday was a rare instance of the Timberwolves’ frontcourt being undermanned. Rudy Gobert missed his first game due to injury with a bruised left hip (also missed last Tuesday due to a one-game suspension). Naz Reid, who hasn’t missed a game all season, left about five minutes into the game with pain in his left shoulder.

Still, thanks to Beringer’s recent play, Chris Finch was less hesitant to have him there at a critical time. The new big man finished the night with 10 points, eight rebounds (five offensive), three assists and two blocks. The team scored a +9 in his 23 minutes of playing time.

That would have been the breakout game for the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, except that breakout game happened four nights earlier. In nearly 30 minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks, Beringer was +30 while finishing with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Before that Milwaukee game, Beringer played in just 14 games for the Timberwolves for a total of 62 minutes. Including the 6:33 he played against the Houston Rockets on Friday, the Frenchman has nearly doubled his season minutes just over the last three games.

Keep him on the NBA team

Seeing Beringer’s performances lately, many fans are wondering why it took so long for Chris Finch to give him a chance. The team defense falls off a cliff when Gobert isn’t on the floor, and Beringer has always looked to progress at that point.

After the Milwaukee game, Finch stated that Beringer is likely not done with his trip to Iowa to play for the G League’s Iowa Wolves. He was sent there in December and played in seven games. You’d think he would think about that and instead keep Beringer with the NBA club for the rest of the season.

Still, it’s impressive and a bit surprising that the 19-year-old rookie (who started playing basketball in 2021) is this good.