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Timberwolves react to Joan Beringer's 'incredible' Summer League debut

Originally posted on Minnesota Timberwolves on SI
By Will Ragatz | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 1:34 PM ET

ESPN

The Timberwolves couldn't have asked for any more than what they got from rookie center Joan Beringer in his NBA Summer League debut on Thursday. The 18-year-old from France was sensational, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, and a whopping six blocks (he was initially credited with seven but had one removed later). He made his presence felt from the opening tip in the Wolves' victory.

"Joan was incredible," head coach Kevin Hanson said.

Beringer blocked the Pelicans' first two shot attempts of the game and had five blocks within his first eight minutes played. On the other end of the floor, he hit a short hook shot, finished a lob, and scored three more times at the rim in the first half. He didn't look like a guy who has only been playing basketball for four years or so.

"It's just instincts," Hanson said. "I mean, he's played in Europe, that's a high level. So they taught him well. But he's got great timing, he's always got his hands ready. He just has unbelievable timing, I saw it right off the jump. On both ends of the floor, too. His ability to go catch lobs, good hands. That was impressive. Especially going against a starting center in (Yves) Missi."

Not much more you could’ve wanted Joan Beringer to show in his summer league debut:

11 points, 8 rebounds, 7 blocks
pic.twitter.com/34aJQQti5s
— Teg (@IQfor3) July 10, 2025

It's just one Summer League game. There's a long ways to go. But watching Beringer play on Thursday, it was impossible not to see the Wolves' vision of what he can become. His combination of length, explosiveness, and fluid, controlled athleticism is simply rare. Not many players his size can move the way he can.

"I don’t even have to explain, y'all seen it," said point guard Rob Dillingham. "He was like that since the first day (of camp). He play hard, run the floor, take coaching well, he don't care about having the ball. He gon' be special, for sure."

The defensive end is where Beringer has a chance to be dominant. He walled up Missi — the Pelicans' starting center last year as a rookie — in the post and used his length to block his shot. He came over as a weakside help defender and got his hands on shots. He was credited with six blocks but, much like new Wolves teammate Rudy Gobert, his presence altered or discouraged numerous other attempts.

"He jump at everything," said Terrence Shannon Jr., the best player on this Wolves summer roster. "I remember, it was one point at practice, I had to tell him like 'know when to not go if the defender got his man contained.' But I love the fact that he go for everything and try to meet everything at the rim."

There will be growing pains for Beringer as he develops. It's unlikely that all of his games this month in Las Vegas will go quite as smoothly as the first one did. But as far as first impressions go, he aced the test on Thursday.

“I always try to do my maximum," Beringer said. "I talked with Rob before the game and he just told me just really to enjoy it, to be confident, that’s why (I did) what I did I think."