What Does Joan Beringer Bring to the Minnesota Timberwolves?

What Does Joan Beringer Bring to the Minnesota Timberwolves?

hey everyone I’m Tyler Maf and I watch the film so you don’t have to On this video we’re taking a look at the Minnesota Timberwolves first overall pick at number 17 Yoan Behringer Now coming into this draft the Timberwolves were really lacking big man depth as Rudy Goar was their only real center who got minutes Luca Garz is down there but he rarely plays And the Julius Randall Nas Reed experiment doesn’t really work on defenses There’s no rim protection Um and who knows maybe Nazri walks in free agency Regardless it made a ton of sense for the Timberwolves to target a center and a big man at that 17th with that 17th pick Now Baron Jay is one of the bigger wild cards in this draft The French big man was playing in the Adriatic League over in Slovenia this year and the rapid ascension of his draft stock and his play and his development is really exciting He’s incredibly new to the game He’s only been playing for a few years and pivoted away from soccer to basketball because of how much he grew Now Behringer measured in at 6’11 barefoot 235 lbs with a 74 1/2 in wingspan Incredible measurements exactly what you want And he moves in a way that most sevenfooters have no right to move Now the big the big upside with him is on the defensive end of the floor He moves so well and his discipline and fundamentals are far further along than they have any right to be given how young he still is He doesn’t turn 19 until November and he’s only been playing for a couple of years The offensive end is a little bit more of a question mark but we’re going to dive into it all take a look at what his skill set currently is why there should be optimism about his long-term development especially as Rudy Goar ages out of his starting role and what the Timber and what Timberwolves fans can expect from Behringer going forward Welcome to film school Let’s dive in with Behringer I want to start on the offensive end just so we can get some of the questions out of the way right away because the the real upside is on the defensive end Offensively he’s a much bigger question mark I wouldn’t expect Behringer to be much of a shooter at all Um I know Matt Lloyd referenced that they have some optimism in his push shot and the ability to knock down elbow jumpers and you know 15 foot jumpers eventually Maybe maybe that gets there He has decent touch but the shot it needs a lot of work And this year with Olympia he only took 16 jumpers So there’s not a whole lot of examples of him shooting or really spacing the floor showcasing a shooting touch even on floaters where 87.4% of his shots this year came at the rim either as a layup or a dunk Um so Behringer’s scoring game right now is almost purely as a rim runner offensive rebounder cutter There’s some fun stuff with his rim running and versatility that we’ll get into but as we can see here the mechanics are kind of tough Um it wouldn’t shock me if there’s some optimism long term with the scoring touch and the ability to knock down some of those push shots and floaters out of the short roll um and inside like within that 15 to 17t area But it definitely needs a lot of work and it’s not a skill I would be expecting from him for quite some time Where Behringer’s offensive and scoring upside really reside is with his rim running his body control the footwork the straight line speed On cuts he ranked in the 64th percentile in scoring the 74th percentile as the rollman and the 94th percentile in transition Behringer is really springy quick off the floor has really good hands catches in a variety of ways um as we just saw there catches a nice pocket pass he can go up for lobs really really effective as that vertical spacing rim runner And when he gets a straight line to the rim whether in transition or on the roll he’s really effective Um so currently that’s his role on offense where it’s mostly as a play finisher So as we can see here he goes to set this high pick and roll defense is trying to blitz it play at the level Point guard gets rid of it and Behringer immediately cuts to the middle of the floor uh since he knows that his defender who’s the primary rim protector is on his hip As he cuts he catches it He feels his defender right on his hip So instead of going up with an outofc control layup he showcases some really impressive uh body control and footwork here and show shows off his balance stops on a dime keeps that pivot foot doesn’t drag it Love the flexibility here from a sevenfooter pivots back uses a little bit of a shot fake here to get his defender off his feet and then steps through and finishes through the foul that level of balance craft footwork it’s not something I would expect from him regularly but the fact that we’re even getting flashes of it from him given his athletic tools and the fact that he’s only been playing basketball for a couple of years is pretty wild That’s really creative and really patient here Empty corner pick and roll does a great job And this is the kind of stuff that the Timberwolves run all the time with these empty corner handoffs pick and rolls Uh we see them run it all the time with Rudy Goar And this is a set that Behringer can slide into really quickly So initiates the handoff Defense is playing at they’re they’re trying to blitz the ball handler here which in the empty corner situation gives Behringer all this room to roll into Does a really good job Hand immediately goes up He’s looking for that entry pass And the pass they’re able to just throw it up to a spot where only Behringer can get it Uh late contest here by the defender as he’s trying to recover but the pass is right where it needs to be high at the very apex of where Behringer can get it Um at least given how he was running he he has a little more pop than this Uh but catches it comes down quick off the floor easy dunk See him set up in the dunker spot Um long term it’ll be interesting to see if that shot if that push shot continues to develop where maybe instead of cutting here and his primary read is probably always to cut here Um but you know maybe one day he just is able to lurk out there and knock down a little 15 foot baseline jumper But instead as as his teammate attacks the close out drives forces the help rotation Again something that we’ve seen from Anthony Edwards Dante Devenenzo Nikil Alexander Walker uh Mike Connley Nazri Julius Randle like this This is a situation that happens a ton in Timber in the Timberwolves offensive scheme with how they move the ball and their shooters are able to attack closeouts Pocket pass comes now with the Wolves Sorry Rudy but this is the type of pass that Rudy Gober has historically struggled with when it’s low below his waist and instead Behringer get catches it cleanly in stride goes up for the big dunk That type of versatility in terms of catch radius and hands really important as Timberwolves fans are all too aware of So that’s kind of a little pseudo screen broken play here Late shot clock but Behringer instead of just ball watching here stays active as his teammate drives He continues to probe that dunker spot area Makes himself available as an outlet Provides some vertical spacing Easy lob out of that empty corner here Does a really good job of securing the ball Uh despite getting blitzed the defender’s trying to blow up this handoff Behringer reads it doesn’t force it waits for his teammate to stop on a dime pivot back feeds it to him and immediately bolts down the bolts down the lane because once he gets rid of it here he sees his defender having to rotate over because the point guard’s primary defender is now out of the play Behringer knows that his defender is rotating over which gives him this clean runway as he runs down catches it in stride and does a really good job stepping through avoiding the contact and showcases a bit of a finesse finish So as a scorer Behringer is purely a play finisher right now Maybe the shooting and the push shot stuff in the mid-range develops eventually but right now he’s an offensive rebounder rim runner vertical spacer who also has a bit of nuance with some of his finishes and how he can stop on a dime pivot back He showcased a little bit of craft Is it a real tool right away Probably not But what those flashes show us is that there’s more there lurking under the surface that in time can really develop into a really fun and versatile and effective uh play finishing big Now let’s take a look at Behringer’s real selling point and that’s the defense Couple things that’s really important to keep in mind here We’ll start out with the on ball stuff and his ability to switch and defend in space But the real key points of context to keep in mind here Behringer’s been playing basketball for like 3 years Additionally he’s 6’11 barefoot 235 lbs Those are that’s a massive human being and a really young 18-year-old who doesn’t turn 19 until the middle of November So he’s incredibly raw He’s incredibly huge and he’s still moving like this Guys his age his size with his level of experience don’t typically have this combination of established fundamentals And when we look at the hips and the footwork we can see the former soccer player Beher grew up playing soccer and then pivoted to basketball once he his feet outgrew his cleats and he couldn’t find cleats big enough So his friends were like “Hey let’s come play basketball.” Um and let’s see what happens Turns out he’s just going to be the 17th pick in the 2025 NBA draft Not a bad backup plan Uh but when we look at how Behringer moves we can see that soccer type of agility with the footwork how he sits down in the defensive stance how quick and flexible and fluid his hips are Guys like guys his size who are this new to the game almost never look this smooth and consistent Um and something that we typically see from freak athletes who are only 18 is that there tends to be a bit of chaos to their game Not because they’re bad players just because they don’t know any better and the game’s incredibly fast for him We don’t tend to see that from Behringer though as he’s really disciplined and really composed So here handoff switches It stays at the level here does a great job sliding his feet staying attached decent defensive stance for someone who’s a seven-footer in shoes stays with the def stays with the ball handler does a really good job Look at how well he slides his feet here and how quick the hips are as this is a really tough move for guys his size to defend as he as that high foot gets attacked A lot of guys his age at this point it looks like he’s toast He’s out of the play Most guys his age at his size would be dusted This would be a really clean layup or a driving kick that forces the help rotation you know something along those lines By all rights Baroner should be out of this play Instead he shows off that hip mobility and how quickly he pivots out of that That’s really advanced for his age as as that high foot gets attacked he just opens up that stance doesn’t panic doesn’t sacrifice his footwork or his balance stays in this low defensive stance opens up his hips drops that right foot allows him to stay attached to the ball handler’s hip forces him wide to the other side of the rim and then has the length and the explosiveness to get up and block the shot On this one we’re going to see him yet again We see switch in the pick and roll This time he’s playing a little more of a drop coverage So already we’re seeing a variance in the types of coverages he can play He can play that high wall that the Timberwolves have played in the past He can play some of this traditional drop Um and again we see this hit the the quick hips right away So I mean from here he bites a little This is where inexperience comes into play a little bit where the ball handler hits him with a little in and out and he bites on it in time That’s got to improve but given how quick his feet and hips are he’s able to immediately recover Once he’s his hips are facing that direction he should again be taken out of this play But he’s nimble enough agile enough where he’s able to flip back stay attached and force a really tough shot Forces the miss and that that footwork that balance and the discipline to not bite on this fake is pretty special So he switched out on the opposing opposing point guard from Go here Really forcing him right trying to keep him on one side does a good job of not crossing his feet here He does turn his hips to turn and chase which again should take him out of the play because that step back he should be done But since his lower body is so explosive and look at how low he’s getting and he’s lucky he didn’t blow out his knee there But that speaks to the flexibility and the strength of him And the fact that the ball handler knows that even if he rises up here Behringer’s 74 and a half inch wingspan is going to get a good contest is a testament to Behringer And on that head fake here as he recovers most young guys are jumping at that and they’re going to draw a foul um or give up a layup Instead Behringer stays grounded recomposes himself sits in that stance stays composed and waits for the ball handler to elevate before he commits to contesting the shot Forces a tough miss DHO little cat mouse game Quick feet quick hips Behringer is constantly toying with the with the ball handler not committing one way or the other while also not getting caught in no man’s land Likely good communication from his teammate here on the backside letting Behringer know that he’s there helping him with the roller But Behringer doesn’t abandon too soon He doesn’t overcommit to the ball He doesn’t get back to his man too quickly to give up a layup instead he stays attached to both playing that no man’s land game really well um or making sure he’s not caught in no man’s land but instead playing that in between game really well excuse me and then here we see some of that inexperience where he still gets a really good contest here but he’s a little complacent and a little too honed in on the ball um instead at this point he needs to get back towards the middle because even if the ball handler then pivots back he has the size where he hand contest Instead he gets a little ball watchy here Stays anchored in the restricted area Really wants this block Um but does a good job of not jumping too early Stays disciplined as the shovel pass goes to Behringer’s primary assignment Now um that that’s too much of a gap to be giving up But late contest solid length he gets a decent contest on it He’s just got to be a little more attached because that that that’s too much space to be giving up to um an NBA center is probably gonna drop in this floater given that much of a cushion especially on the catch here So decent late contest and his length allows him to do that but at the very end of that play we can see some of the inexperience um and youth in Behringer’s game because he is just 18 but he stays with it the entire time does a really good job of staying grounded on the shot fake waiting for the ball handler to commit to the shot elevates doesn’t foul They eventually get the bucket but that’s what happens on second and third chances Pick and roll Switches and space again Tremendous footwork Forces the ball handler outside He’s sitting low in this defensive stance Most sevenfooters are just physically incapable of doing that slides his feet really well absorbs the contact forces the tough cont or tough shot through the contact over a late contest Really solid defense really good foot footwork It It’s just a common theme here with all of Beher’s defense He’s sitting low in his stance quick hips I love how quickly he opens up there and then doesn’t abandon his balance slides his feet stays low in that defensive stance It allows him to react to those step backs stays disciplined decent contest doesn’t get torched It’s really tough to beat Behringer off the dribble Even when here where we see some of those lapses that are inevitably going to happen with sevenfooters sloppy closeout high narrow stance really good drive here but then we see how quickly Behringer is able to recover because of that footwork and explosiveness So even though it’s kind of a it’s a rare sloppy closeout by him but his rare sloppy closeouts aren’t chaotic Like he’s still able to recover and stay in the play He’s high here recovers immediately stays attached and then has the size explosiveness explosiveness and length to then get the block So even when he does falter he has all of the tools to recover and make a big impact Here we see him a little more in an offball roll Drops down solid help defense and then really solid close out here under control High foot gets attacked again opens up those hips slides absorbs the contact forces the tough shot almost gets caught cheating there gambling a little bit but the defense was a it’s an unfortunate miss for the ball handler but the defensive stance the way he slides his feet stays attached absorbs the contact high hand the entire time disrupting the ball handler’s view stays grounded doesn’t bite too much Really nice step through by the ball handler here but Behringer’s size and length still force him to attempt this wild acrobatic offbalance shot that just rims out But the common theme throughout all of these possessions with Behringer is how quick light and nimble his feet and hips are And for a sevenfooter to move like that is really special Especially since he’s just three four years into the game with a full year two years three years of NBA coaching and development and film and processing and all that kind of stuff It’s kind of exciting to think about where Behringer could be as a defender especially after a couple years not only of the NBA level coaching but learning behind multi one of the best defensive centers of the last 20 years in Rudy Rudy Gobear So while Behinger looks like he can and will be able to switch a lot on the perimeter he’s still a center So it’s not something that the Wolves are going to want him doing constantly So what he does as a team defender and offball with his weak side rotations and drop coverage all of that stuff really matters too the processing speed and stuff is going to take some time but the vast majority of his team defense and his ability to rotate from the weak side close out under control be in the right spot is far ahead of where it has any right to be So here we can see him rotating down helping showing on the cutter and then as the ball swings out closes out under control High hand leaves his feet a little bit here but is quick enough gets gets away with a little bump to throw to throw his man off but quick enough where he’s then able to recover cut off the drive force a kick out Now he’s immediately going into their pick and roll coverage Um looks like a little bit of miscommunication here on what the coverage is supposed to be Looks like his teammates’s not expecting um Behringer to be playing at the level here Looks like he signals for it He at least calls out the screen May not have called out the uh that the screen was going to flip to the other side So his teammates expecting it on his left here Gets thrown off a little bit and Beher’s a little out of position here to start And that’s something that in time with experience coaching chemistry all that kind of stuff it’ll come Um but the athletic tools now he immediately disengages from his from his assignment and recovers to the rim and showcases that speed and the athletic tools getting there forcing the tough miss So bit of miscommunication um that we see right off the bat which is inevitable with any 18-year-old let let alone one who’s only been playing for a couple of years But then we see the physical tools come into play and how that really less or improves his margin for error here Little drop coverage stays attached to his man He sees his teammate get gets through that screen pretty effectively So instead of getting caught in no man’s land he retreats back to the roller while still staying engaged and in range where he can rotate over if needed as his teammate deals with the ball handler Ball handler continues to probe And as he goes up for this wild this acrobatic shot this offbalance shot that’s when Behringer engages and goes after the goes after the block gets his hands on it really showcases off his explosiveness and his length here The problem here is that if he doesn’t get fingers on this and that shot misses his man’s getting an easy rebound and a putback So there there is a bit of block chasing that Behringer um is prone to But the the whole point is that athletically physically he shouldn’t be getting to the shot but he has the tools to do it in time as he gets a little more used to not chasing blocks as that some of those instincts get refined I don’t want to say coached out of him because you still want him to be aggressive blocking shots like this but as it gets a little more refined as the decision-m continues to improve the block chasing um should lessen Drop coverage disengages really good timing great awareness opens up his hips repositions himself so he’s still attached to his man taking away that pass knows where he is and then rotates at the last second exactly when he needs to elevates forces the attempt through contact and blocks the shot Really good timing great discipline great awareness We see him as the low man here Again the physical tools allow him to block the shot from the other side of the rim He’s elevating on if we’re looking at the rim he’s elevating from the right side and then has the length to wrap his arm under the rim and then block that shot In an NBA context he probably needs to be half a step closer so he’s not contorting his body like that Um but the the reason he’s a step late is because if he rotates too early then that shovel pass goes to his man and his man has an easy layup little push shot um that he probably can’t quite get back to Instead he waits until the ball handler commits to the shot and then has the physical tools to rotate over and execute the block We see him as the low man here again and really good rotation Uh his his teammate gets beat off the drive here Beher rotates down deters the shot at the rim forces the kick out Now this is the really fun stuff where an NBA shooter that that shot’s probably up but not everyone who Beher is going to be defending is immediately going to have that that quick trigger If he gets switched on to a shooting guard or something and is in this situation obviously that shot’s going up But if he’s closing out on a four or five and he’s closing out with that with that level of speed high hand they may look to try and attack that close out which we see Behringer close out short steps under control low defensive stance Look how he’s sitting down like that And that allows him to immediately react pivot back and slide with his man um and force a tough contest He ball handler gets a clean shot off but that’s a really really really strong contest He’s disrupting his ey line forces the tough shot and the really bad miss So as an offball defender as a team defender Behringer really thrives with his physical tools and his motor There’s a lot of refinement that still needs to go into his processing speed um and his decision- making on chasing blocks but the foundation of where it’s currently at is really promising really exciting especially for an 18-year-old who’s new to the game and in a year two years It’d be shocking if we don’t see a massive uptick in consistency and reliability from that standpoint Yan Baron is far from a finished project He’s only 18 doesn’t turn 19 until the middle of November and has only been playing basketball for a couple years However at 6’11 barefoot 235 lbs with a 74 1/2 in inch wingspan he has all of the tools and the foundation for what teams look for in modern centers especially on the defensive end The way he moves his feet and moves in space is special Guys his size at his age don’t ha aren’t as light on their feet as Behringer is They don’t have as quick footwork They don’t sit down in a defensive stance They can’t open up their hips and change directions multiple times the way he does The defensive upside with Baron is special especially after a year or two of NBA coaching and learning from one of the best defensive centers of all time and Rudy Gobear The upside on that end of the floor with Behringer is really exciting The big question is how quickly does that come and what does the offense look like Right now he’s almost exclusively an offensive rebounder rim runner vertical spacer cutter um interior play finisher The shot needs a lot of work He only took 16 jumpers this year for a reason But there are those among the team who are optimistic about his scoring touch and his ability to pivot more into being able to knock down those push shots or 15 foot jumpers out of the short roll If he can eventually develop that that’ll do wonders because we’ve seen flashes of really dynamic and composed and creative crafty footwork and finishing But right now he catches everything whether it’s a lob or a pocket pass He’s got really good hands He showcased some footwork and body control um and craft around the rim that we wouldn’t expect from someone of his archetype at his age Yan Behringer is a home run swing and a definite lottery ticket type of player and type of pick that the Minnesota Timberwolves took at 17 They’ve in recent years they’ve been looking to take big swings at positions of need and that’s exactly what Yan Behringer is

Tyler Metcalf (@tmetcalf11) breaks down what the Minnesota Timberwolves are getting in their first round pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, Joan Beringer.

0:00 Intro
2:00 Shooting
3:30 Rim running
9:20 On ball defense
20:37 Off ball defense
27:27 Summary

Draft Guide: noceilingsnba.bigcartel.com
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-ceilings-nba-draft/id1595712943
Written work: noceilingsnba.com
Twitter: @NoCeilingsNBA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoCeilingsNBA