Timberwolves Coach Finch Wants Beringer to Rein In His Aggressive Style

Chris Finch says the 19-year-old big man's tendency to overextend himself on plays is a better problem to fix than a lack of effort.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have put 19-year-old center Joan Beringer in line for meaningful rotation minutes this season. With Julius Randle and Naz Reid no longer on the roster, Beringer is projected to serve as the primary backup to Rudy Gobert, leaving him less room to grow slowly in a reduced role.

Coach Chris Finch told Britt Robson of MinnPost in September that uneven performances are typical for any young player, and he views Beringer's ups and downs as part of natural development rather than a self-created problem. According to Finch, the teenager's issue is not a shortage of intensity but knowing when to restrain it.

Chosen 17th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, Beringer appeared in 40 games as a rookie, posting 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 7.9 minutes per contest. Finch noted that fouls remain a concern, with the big man frequently ending up on the floor and abandoning good positioning because of excessive aggressiveness. In his view, teaching someone to tone things down beats constantly pushing a player to bring more fire.

Finch also highlighted core strength as a key area for the 6-foot-11, 230-pounder, who has the size for center but still needs added power and balance to absorb contact and land under control.

Setting expectations for the coming year, Finch said a night-to-night split of two strong performances for every poor one is the target, warning that if two of every three outings go badly, the team will be exposed. With Gobert heading to the bench, Minnesota simply needs Beringer to deliver dependable minutes.