First impressions matter.
Joan Beringer made quite the first impression for the Minnesota Timberwolves and to NBA fans everywhere in the opening game of the Las Vegas Summer League.
The 6-foot-11 18-year old from France put up 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and here's the big one: He blocked seven shots. Yes, seven. Five blocks came in the first half.
Seven blocks in one game ties the Summer League record, according to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski.
Beringer made 5-of-6 shots from the floor and grabbed a pair of steals, too.
It's been a remarkable rise to this point for Beringer, who was the No. 17 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
He was a soccer player growing up who had never even touched a basketball until 2021.
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When his feet outgrew soccer cleats, he switched to basketball.
In 2024, he joined Olimpija in Slovenia, earned a senior roster spot and helped his squad win the Slovenian Cup in 2025.
Now, he's the heir apparent to Rudy Gobert in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves actually drafted two intriguing centers, with Rocco Zikarsky an even lankier option in the paint. But Zikarsky played just four minutes on Thursday.
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Clearly, Beringer is the guy the Timberwolves already trust. You can see why.
He crashed the offensive glass on pretty much every shot, had great timing and sense to block shots, and certainly didn't miss any of his easy chances on the interior to score.
It's a long way before a regular season NBA debut for Beringer, but for the middle of July, this couldn't have gone much better.
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