Joan Beringer Is Quietly Becoming a Key Spark for the Wolves Bench

The Timberwolves’ bench has been a popular topic all year long, with inconsistencies in scoring and energy often costing Minnesota in many close games. But someone who’s been a bright light off the bench in the month of January is the Wolves' 19-year-old rookie John Beringer. After a slower start to his NBA career, the French forward/center has started to increasingly earn more and more steady minutes, and he’s making the most of them.

(Michael Gonzales/GettyImages)

From what we saw in the first couple months of the season, it seemed as if the only Beringer appearances we would see would be in garbage time and brief rotations. However, that changed in January, when coach Chris Finch started giving him more opportunities for meaningful runs. The first big appearance we saw from Beringer was in a dominant win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Beringer took advantage of his minutes rallying for 13 points, shooting 6‑for‑7, five rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes of play. It was definitely a game that caught the eye of Wolves fans.

However, that outing wasn’t just a one and done. In a gritty battle against the Spurs, Beringer flirted with a double‑double, posting up 10 points, eight boards, three assists and two blocks in just 23 minutes, showcasing his motor and versatility against size.

Overall, the numbers this month tell a compelling story. In January, Beringer is averaging much more minutes than he had through the first chunk of the season, and his scoring production has gone up as well. He’s even outpacing some established rotation players in scoring despite his limited playing time. In fact, Beringer has scored more points this month than veteran Mike Conley despite far fewer minutes.

What makes Beringer’s presence so intriguing isn’t just the numbers he puts up in the box score. It’s the energy he brings to the court. He’s consistently doing things like tipping balls, crashing the offensive glass and making hustle plays that can spark a second unit that’s struggled to find its identity. Fans and analysts have also noticed this, pointing to Beringer’s athleticism and instincts as reasons he “belongs on the floor” and can help inject life into lineups that desperately need it.

Now, it’s about consistency. The Wolves are still searching for reliable bench production, but Beringer’s January run gives this Wolves squad something to build on. Even though he’s still on a team that’s filled with talented bigs like Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle, the rookie isn’t just playing in garbage time anymore, he’s earning meaningful minutes, contributing to this team, and reminding Wolves fans why the Timberwolves took him in the first round.

If Finch continues to trust him, this could be the start of a meaningful rotation role and a storyline Wolves fans will be talking about well beyond January.

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