By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Joan Beringer’s intensity immediately caught the Minnesota Timberwolves’ attention during his rookie season.
Now, head coach Chris Finch wants the young French center to learn when to unleash it.
“He plays so hard, and he has incredible balance and energy,” Finch told MinnPost. “He has to figure out how to maintain that effort while regulating his desire to go after absolutely everything.”
Beringer averaged only 7.9 minutes across 40 appearances as a rookie, but displayed mobility, rim protection and impressive activity for a 19-year-old. His aggression also contributed to frequent fouls and occasionally left him out of position.
“The fouls. He always ends up on the floor, you know? And often, he puts himself out of position because he’s too aggressive,” Finch explained. “But learning how to tone that down is better than the opposite, when you constantly have to push someone to do more.”
With Randle and Reid no longer part of Minnesota’s frontcourt, Beringer should have a clearer path to regular minutes behind Gobert. Finch believes the 17th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has already shown that he can respond when called upon.
“What gives us confidence is that when he had opportunities — and he could have had more if our roster had been built differently — he delivered most of the time,” Finch said.
The next step for Beringer will be finding the right balance: preserving the energy that makes him such an intriguing prospect while learning to use it with greater control.
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