3 Reasons Why The Timberwolves Won The 2025 NBA Draft

The Minnesota Timberwolves made another run to the Western Conference Finals, losing to the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite their deep playoff run, the Timberwolves are arguably one of the draft’s big winners. They selected Cedevita center Joan Beringer in the first round and Brisbane Bullets center Rocco Zikarsky in the second round.

Both Beringer and Zikarsky are defensive bigs who are certainly among the most athletic in the draft. Also, both players contributed to Minnesota’s success in Summer League and Beringer, in particular, showcased his potential. Undoubtedly, Beringer and Zikarsky have the potential to be major facets for Minnesota at the center position. Let’s delve into the three reasons why the Minnesota Timberwolves won the 2025 NBA Draft.

3 Reasons Why The Timberwolves Won The 2025 NBA Draft

#1: Multiple Potential Gobert Successors

Rudy Gobert has unquestionably been a large part of Minnesota’s playoff rise in the past few seasons. Specifically, he has been a major focal point in their excellent defense, holding down the paint like the four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner he is. However, Gobert is on the older side compared to the rest of the roster at 33. While he is still certainly effective on the defensive end, the Timberwolves need to start looking for his eventual successor before his tank runs out.

Minnesota used this past draft to not only draft a center, but get two of them. Both of their rookie big men have high ceilings as defensive players. Beringer demonstrated his incredible athleticism in the form of his shot-blocking at Summer League. He also showed his ability to cover a lot of ground defensively, which is made evident by his weakside rotations. Zikarsky is much more of a project than Beringer, but his size at seven-foot-three with a seven-foot-four wingspan gives him amazing size—even for a center. With the two young bigs, Minnesota now has two distinct options in terms of finding a successor for a post-Gobert team.

#2: Extreme Athleticism

Considering the overall draft, the Timberwolves arguably drafted the most athletic crop of rookies among all the teams. As mentioned before, Beringer possesses a high degree of athleticism for his position. Not only does he have great vertical pop and overall speed, but he also has excellent fluidity and mobility for a big. Those aspects translate into his superb transition attack and his presence as a lob threat.

As for Zikarsky, he shares many of the same positive qualities as Beringer, especially for his size. He has demonstrated his verticality in his ability to be a rim protector and rebounder. Plus, he moves and covers the floor well for someone as tall as him. Undoubtedly, the Wolves obtained a great deal of athleticism at the five, gaining far more dynamism at the position than they had behind Gobert.

#3: Insane Defensive Potential

Considering the athleticism that both rookies possess, their defensive potential as centers is extremely high. Beringer already flashed the kind of defender he can be at Summer League. He was a dominant presence in the paint as a shot-blocker, and he has the aforementioned mobility that allows him to keep up with perimeter players in a pinch. Not only does his length help him be an excellent shot-blocker, but he actively uses it to disrupt ball-handlers and their passes. Much of his success defensively is mainly due to his athleticism. As he continues to develop and gain a better feel as a player, he can become a defensive monster.

Zikarsky’s size and length allow him to take up so much space in the paint. Additionally, that aforementioned length and verticality make him someone who can create a no-fly zone around the rim. While more development is needed for both players, they have very clear, high ceilings as defensive prospects.