11 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two steals, and seven blocks. Not to mention converting 5-of-6 field goal attempts in 23 minutes of action. Not many 18-year-olds are expected to produce such stat lines. Let alone 18-year-olds who began playing basketball merely three years ago, yet here we are.
Minnesota Timberwolves' rookie first-round pick Joan Beringer turned heads in his NBA Summer League debut. Of course, it is summer league, so we'll take Beringer's stellar performance with a grain of salt. But, wow. The young Frenchman turned in a truly special performance for the Timberwolves in a 98-91 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, who roster a star-studded squad of their own.
Joan Beringer's tremendous debut should have the Bulls reconsidering
The 17th overall pick didn't look out of place competing against the Pelicans frontcourt composed of All-Rookie Second-Team selection, Yves Missi, and former five-star recruit and 13th overall pick Derik Queen. Beringer made his presence felt early, blocking both Missi and seventh-overall selection Jeremiah Fears in the first minute of action.
In the first half alone, he finished with five rejections, swatting away shots from Missi (twice), Fears, Derik Queen, and last year's 47th overall pick, Antonio Reeves. Beringer displayed his potential as a future defensive anchor, while tantalizing as a lob threat offensively.
Speaking of athletic defensive anchors, they don't come around often, and it's undoubtedly an archetype the Chicago Bulls should covet. Instead of drafting an interior deterrent, the Bulls settled on France's Noa Essengue, a two-way wing with a similarly untapped ceiling to Beringer.
While Essengue has yet to make his debut for Chicago, it's difficult not to envision Beringer's fit on the Bulls' roster. The Billy Donovan-led squad has a gaping hole at center. Although two-time All-Star Nikola Vučević currently occupies the spot, it won't be for long as the 34-year-old center will play next season on an expiring contract.
Beringer wouldn't and won't be asked to come in and make an immediate difference. As mentioned, he's 18 years old and raw on both sides of the floor. Still, adding a fluid 7-foot center to a lineup lacking interior defense and athletic interior presence would pay dividends in the short and long term.
The French big man runs the floor like a gazelle and has the makings of a premier roll-man. He'd fit like a glove in Donovan's uptempo offense and make for an ideal pick-and-roll partner alongside preternatural passing point guard Josh Giddey. Moreover, as a 7-foot mobile center with a nearly 7-foot-5 wingspan, Beringer would help remedy the Bulls' leaky defense. Chicago notably fielded the worst interior defense in the NBA last season.
Anointing Beringer as an NBA-ready player after one impressive summer league is overzealous. Furthermore, declaring Beringer as a better prospect than Essengue after one game is entirely an overreaction. Nonetheless, Beringer's performance was tantalizing, and it's fair to ponder if Chicago should have taken a swing on the other 18-year-old Frenchman to fill a more pressing need.
