When the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Joan Beringer with the No. 17 pick in June, it was unclear what role he would play. Beringer started playing basketball in 2021 and only turned 19 in November. Given this, it always seemed unlikely to me that he would carve out a significant role as a rookie despite the Wolves' clear need for a backup big man behind Rudy Gobert.
Thus far, he's appeared in nine games, for a total of 37 minutes. All of these minutes have been garbage time. Furthermore, Beringer hasn't played since November 15 against the Dallas Mavericks. To be fair, most of these games have been close.
However, on Sunday night, the Wolves beat the San Antonio Spurs by 13 points. At the end of the game, Bones Hyland, Leonard Miller, and Johnny Juzang all got off the bench, but Beringer didn't see the court.
After the Mavericks game, Chris Finch mentioned that Beringer will likely spend some time in the G League at some point. Beringer being sent down to the G League seems like a certainty now, as he struggles to play any minutes in Minnesota.
Beringer playing the G League would help him
Some Timberwolves fans are frustrated by Beringer not being given a chance at the NBA level and thus might not be thrilled by him being sent down to the G League. Amid the Wolves struggling with Gobert off the court at times, it's fair to want to see what the high upside rookie can do.
Regardless, I don't mind him spending some time in Iowa. Yes, the Wolves' non-Gobert minutes have been a problem at points, but I doubt Beringer, who is clearly raw, could help. Plus, the non-Gobert minutes have been improving. Developing four young players while trying to compete for a title is also challenging.
Frankly, Beringer isn't going to improve by sitting on an NBA bench; he needs real game reps, and the G League could greatly benefit him. At face value, a first-round pick playing in the G League is concerning. However, it shouldn't be. Beringer was always going to take time to reach his high ceiling, and spending some time in the G League always felt likely to me.
It's not uncommon for raw prospects to play in the G League. Khaman Maluach on the Phoenix Suns was drafted seven spots above Beringer and has already spent time in the G League. When it's all said and done, Beringer playing some G League minutes will help his development.
The Timberwolves play the New Orleans Pelicans twice this week, which should (hopefully) provide some garbage time minutes for Beringer. After this stretch, though, the schedule gets more challenging, and I could see Beringer being sent down to Iowa.