The Minnesota Timberwolves might have a decision to make at center sooner than they expected. Rudy Gobert is having a rough start, Joan Beringer keeps making the most of his opportunities, and it's getting harder to ignore the difference between what the two have provided lately.
Gobert is still one of the best defensive centers in the NBA when he's playing well, but Minnesota needs more than what it's currently getting from him. That's especially true with Anthony Edwards out of the lineup and the Timberwolves needing everyone else to pick up the scoring.
Beringer might not be ready to take over as the starting center, but he's making a pretty good argument that he deserves more than the minutes he's getting.
The second-year big has been one of the more encouraging parts of Minnesota's rotation recently. He's playing with energy, attacking the rim and making the most of his chances. Against Cleveland, he went 6-for-6 from the field for 12 points, added seven rebounds and blocked two shots in just 17 minutes.
He followed that up against Golden State with seven points and nine rebounds, going 3-for-3 from the floor. Those aren't superstar numbers, but they're exactly the kind of production Minnesota needs right now.
And there's something to be said for the way Beringer plays. He doesn't need the ball drawn up for him to make an impact. He runs the floor, attacks offensive rebounds and gives Minnesota another athletic presence around the basket. With Edwards unavailable, those little things matter even more.
Gobert has given Finch plenty of reasons to reconsider how he's using the center position.
His defensive value is obvious, and nobody is suggesting Minnesota should completely abandon what he brings. But the offensive production has been difficult to watch . Going scoreless against Cleveland on nine attempts and finishing with just one point against Golden State isn't going to cut it, especially when the team is already missing its biggest offensive weapon.
The rebounding is still there, but Minnesota needs Gobert to do more with the opportunities he gets around the rim. He's not being asked to become a scorer who creates his own shot. He's being asked to finish the easy ones, and even that has been a struggle lately.
That's where Beringer's emergence becomes interesting.
Finch doesn't necessarily need to make a drastic change to the starting lineup. But why not give Beringer more of the minutes? Why not see what happens when he's on the floor during some of the most important stretches of a game?
The Warriors game was a good example of why it's worth considering. Minnesota needs players who can give it something when the offense stalls, and Beringer has shown he can provide a spark without needing many touches.
There are going to be growing pains with a 19-year-old center. Gobert has years of experience that Beringer simply doesn't have, and there will be matchups where his defense is more valuable. But that shouldn't mean Gobert gets priority regardless of how he's playing.
The Timberwolves are trying to survive without Edwards , and they can't afford to keep running out the same rotations if they're not working. Beringer has earned the chance to be part of the solution.
At some point, Finch has to reward what he's seeing on the floor. If Beringer keeps playing like this, a more even split at center shouldn't just be an experiment. It should become a serious consideration.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/timberwolves/onsi as Joan Beringer Is Making a Real Case for Timberwolves Shakeup .
