The Minnesota Timberwolves have been having a great year and part of it can be credited to them playing to the strength and egos of their best players. The Wolves take competition within the team extremely seriously, to the point that even rookie Joan Beringer won’t back down against the face of the franchise, Anthony Edwards.
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Beringer is not a household name yet but was the 17th pick from the 2025 NBA Draft is expected to get there soon enough. The French big man has already made a name for himself in the NBA Summer League for his outstanding ability to protect the paint.
So far in the 2025-26 season, Beringer hasn’t been able to crack Minnesota’s rotation consistently. But that is not a comment on his abilities, it’s just that the Wolves have immense depth in the frontcourt. However, the 6-foot-11 big man is always ready for whenever the coaching staff calls his name. In Minnesota’s recent loss to the Spurs, he tallied 10 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 23 minutes of action.
Most of Beringer’s time on the court for the Wolves is when he practices with the first team. People outside of the immediate team don’t get the privilege to witness what goes on during these private sessions. However, Beringer is happy to reveal to the media that he doesn’t back down from a defensive assignment, specifically against Anthony Edwards.
“I get yelled at when I switch onto Edwards on defense. But honestly, I’ve got good footwork. Out of four one-on-ones, I can stop him two or three times,” Beringer declared.
Lol. Here’s the exact quote Beringer gave me after practice during preseason camp in October:
“I get yelled at when I switch onto Edwards on defense. But honestly, I’ve got good footwork. Out of four one-on-ones, I can stop him two or three times.” https://t.co/vwzhyxrydb
— Maxime Aubin (@MaximeAubin1) January 18, 2026
Claiming that he can stop Edwards either 50 or 75% of the time is quite bold. After all, Edwards is one of the best offensive players the league has to offer. The three-time All-Star is currently averaging a career-high 29.6 points along with 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Clearly, opposing teams are struggling to contain Edwards on a nightly basis. It would be remarkable that the Timberwolves have a big man capable of such versatile defense sitting along their bench.
However, once word of this reached Edwards, he quickly shut Beringer down.
“Who? Him? Nah, I’ll f*** Joan up,” Edwards proclaimed.
This is the same person who believed he could defeat an Olympic table tennis player despite having little to no background in the sport. So yes, he will back himself against the rookie.
It would be interesting to watch the two teammates go head-to-head in a one-on-one matchup though. That would be highly unlikely unless Beringer ends up on a different team at some point in his career.
Beringer’s remarks might be considered a bit of a stretch right now but it just goes on to show the confidence he has in his abilities. Sooner than later, he will find self playing regularly for the Wolves, so that confidence will go a long way.
