Joan Beringer’s importance to the Timberwolves is becoming clearer by the day

Joan Beringer’s benefits have always been clear; the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted him in the first round last June as their center of the future. Still, it was unclear how much the 19-year-old could contribute this season — that is, until his impressive rotation debut two weeks ago. Notably, Beringer had 13 points and five rebounds against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Two games later, he scored 10 points and eight rebounds against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

However, this was not enough to earn minutes in a fully healthy team. Beringer played a total of just 13 minutes in the next three games (which capped a five-game losing streak).

Chris Finch gave Beringer another big rotation opportunity against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, and once again he impressed. In 16 minutes, Beringer scored nine points and four rebounds to finish as a plus-11 en route to a Wolves win.

However, Beringer’s impact exceeds the statistics, providing the Wolves with much-needed energy on both ends of the pitch and helping the team stay afloat with Rudy Gobert off the pitch. The results are clear: When Beringer plays, the Wolves are a better team and should continue to give him minutes.

Beringer’s two-sided impact is enormous

The new big man provides tremendous impact on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he gives Minnesota an efficient source of offense as a rim runner and lob threat. Defensively, he gives them much-needed rim protection and versatility when Gobert is off the field.

I couldn’t be more impressed with how quickly the rookie has acclimated to the NBA. Not only is he one of the youngest players in the league, but he only started playing basketball in 2021. I’ll be the first to admit that I thought this would be a purely developmental year for the French big man.

Still, Beringer’s defensive instincts and shot-blocking timing make him look like a veteran. Take a look at this slick block from Caleb Martin during Wednesday’s game: His timing is impeccable, and many experienced players wouldn’t be able to make this play.

Offensively, Beringer is almost always in the right spot and does an excellent job of rolling to the rim. He also has fantastic hands and is already a capable short-roll passer. How far he goes offensively has perhaps been the most impressive aspect of his game for me. Beringer’s energy really stands out on both ends of the floor; he crashes the glass at a rapid pace and makes hustle plays.

The Wolves need all of Beringer’s impact. He gives a struggling Wolves bench a nice source of energy while also providing them with a path to succeed with Gobert on the bench. The advanced statistics support Beringer’s impact. Without Rudy, the Wolves have a defensive rating of 121.4, but with Beringer on the field and Gobert on the bench, Minnesota has a DRTG of 109.5.

This is perhaps the biggest reason to play for Beringer, and at this point he should be a clear mainstay of the Wolves’ rotation. Despite the need for a backup center, playing Beringer is difficult given the Wolves’ loaded frontcourt. On Wednesday they played Naz Reid at small forward.

Going forward, the Wolves need to lean more into their positional size, even if it’s funky – Beringer is just too good not to play regular minutes.