Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Joan Beringer stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 17th pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Rival GM calls Joan Beringer a possible 'top-five player' in 2025 NBA Draft

Originally posted on Minnesota Timberwolves on SI
By Joe Nelson | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 5:04 PM ET

Former Indiana and Georgia men's basketball coach Tom Crean isn't the only industry expert who thinks the Timberwolves might've struck gold by taking Joan Beringer with the No. 17 pick in last month's NBA Draft.

In fact, an anonymous Eastern Conference general manager told ESPN's Jeremy Woo that Beringer might be the steal of the draft.

"Beringer] could turn out to be a top-five player in this draft," the unnamed GM told Woo. "Upside is through the roof, and he doesn't even know how to play yet. He is also in a perfect situation where he can learn and grow from all of their bigs."

The powerful comment was incluced in Woo's survey of anonymous NBA executives, which featured four of 20 execs choosing Beringer as the "biggest draft steal." Only Carter Bryant, who was taken 14th overall by San Antonio, received more votes (five).

Coincidentally, it was Crean, during a recent Twin Cities radio interview, who predicted that Bryant and Beringer will be considered steals of the draft when it's all said and done.

"He's got great feet. He's got length," Crean said of Beringer. "He's got tremendous timing. Like any young player, he stands straight up and down too much at times, but what you see with him is already at his age he can set a re-screen. He can hand off and screen, he can screen and re-screen. He does it quickly. He's got really quick feet. So you think about multiple ball screens, this guy can do that."

"He can really, really run. Great strides. Great timing. He can make catches and he can get lobs. I call it the launching pad, like when he takes off offensively, he looks like a sprinter getting ready to go up over the high jump," Crean continued.

"I don't know how much he'll play this year. I would think he's going to work his way into playing — because he has elevated so much since January. It's not about his scoring as much as it's his ability to cover ground, to be in that roll game, to catch the lobs, to run the floor, to position defense, to grab the ball with two hands and rebound. All the little things, he's got a pretty good grasp of that stuff. But that athleticism is ridiculous."

It's unclear how much Beringer will play as a rookie, but there are some industry insiders who believe the 18-year-old could give the Wolves minutes off the bench and hold his own on the defensive side of the ball right now.