The Minnesota Timberwolves kicked off the 2025 NBA Summer League in the best way possible, a 98-91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans to start their first of (at least) five games at 1-0. While familiar faces such as Terrance Shannon Jr. and Rob Dillingham shined in their own unique ways, the most impressive performance came from No. 17th overall pick, Joan Beringer. The 6-foot-11 big man out of France completely dominated on the court, putting up 11 points, eight rebounds, and a whopping seven blocks on an efficient 5-6 shooting from the field.
Joan Beringer has FIVE blocks in 8 minutes of playing time š³šļø pic.twitter.com/Ysyix3uiYO
ā NBA TV (@NBATV) July 10, 2025
Joan Beringer could be the perfect Rudy Gobert successor
In the rookieās first eight minutes of action, Beringer managed to log five blocks. The 18-year-old is accustomed to making a statement in the paint, as during his time with Cedevita Olimpija, he logged a total of 64 blocks across 47 games, averaging 1.4 blocks per game for the season. Although his scoring and rebounding were limited overseas, the Timberwolves see massive potential in his defensive efforts on the floor.
As for Minnesotaās current depth chart, playing time wonāt come easily with Rudy Gobert in the starting lineup and Naz Reid as the projected backup. The Timberwolves made their second straight Western Conference Finals this past season before falling short to the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.
One of the biggest gaps in their game was their lack of defensive pressure, specifically in the big man department. The Timberwolves are one of many teams that could be in danger of the second apron tax penalties due to the recent extension of Naz Reid. If Beringer can continue his dominance across Summer League, donāt be surprised if he gets an early look to crack the bench rotation once the regular season commences. He was a first-round pick just last month, so the Wolves have high hopes for him in coming years, despite him being just 18 years old.
As for Timberwolves fans, perhaps a younger, more quicker version of Rudy Gobert could be in the making. Very early returns show that at the very least, his rim protection is already NBA-ready.