With Anthony Edwards, who was sidelined at least for a while over the next seven games, now is the time to change things up for Chris Finch and the Minnesota Timberwolves. In addition to their problematic point guard play, the Wolves’ terrible defense has been a major storyline in this young season.
The Wolves defense has struggled, ranking 27th overall, and they have especially struggled without Rudy Gobert. When Gobert is on the field, the Wolves have a top 10 defense, but Minnesota has the league’s worst defense with him off the field.
Julius Randle and Naz Reid are high-impact players, but they can’t anchor a defense. Jaden McDaniels is overloaded as a defender on the ball. A solution to this problem might be to give Joan Beringer some real minutes. This may come as a surprise as the 18-year-old rookie is extremely raw. For example, I looked at this year as a developmental season for Beringer.
However, their defense literally couldn’t get any worse with Rudy off the court, and that’s one area where Beringer looks NBA-ready. He is an elite athlete with impressive shot-blocking chops and plenty of mobility. And offensively, the Wolves rank 29th with Gobert on the field. Again, things can’t get any worse when you play Beringer. Especially without Edwards, I don’t see why Beringer wouldn’t get minutes for the time being.
Now it’s time to give Beringer some real minutes
Beringer has played just seven minutes total, all in “garbage time” so far. Could Beringer help solve the non-Rudy minutes and establish himself as a mainstay in the rotation? I’d say there’s at least a chance of that.
Even if Beringer struggles when given the chance, I don’t see why they shouldn’t give him a chance. Additionally, the Wolves have a favorable schedule; in the next three games they play the Los Angeles Lakers, who have no high-quality centers, the Charlotte Hornets and the Brooklyn Nets. There is simply no reason not to at least give the French rookie a chance.
The main priority would be solving the defensive issues without Gobert, and that was Beringer’s biggest strength as a candidate. However, I think there’s a chance he can take advantage of the Wolves offense as well. Is Beringer raw, especially on offense? Absolute. Nevertheless, Beringer is an athletic rim runner and also a quality screener. This could help create opportunities for Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham and Bones Hyland.
How should Beringer improve from a development standpoint without playing at all, and the Wolves could clearly benefit from his skills. Ultimately, I expect Finch to turn to Beringer at some point in the near future. While I can’t guarantee it will solve some of the Wolves’ problems, it’s a possibility that can’t be ruled out.
#Timberwolves #fans #Joan #Beringer #sooner #expected