The Minnesota Timberwolves entered Tuesday night's contest with the odds stacked against them. Even though they were coming off a win against the San Antonio Spurs, they were set to be without Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert for their contest against the Milwaukee Bucks. Arguably, their two most important players, it didn't seem like this was going to go well.

However, the Timberwolves took advantage of a Bucks team fresh off a four-game road trip, with Julius Randle and Bones Hyland leading the way for a blowout 139-106 victory for the visiting Timberwolves. While the efficient shooting was the highlight of the night, Gobert's absence opened up the door for their first-round pick to get some run.

The 17th overall pick from the 2025 NBA Draft, Joan Beringer played in 30 minutes for the Timberwolves on Tuesday, logging 13 points and five rebounds, while being a +30 on the night. Four of his five rebounds were also offensive, allowing his team to get second chances.

After the game, head coach Chris Finch spoke highly of the rookie for what he was able to do with more opportunities.

"Hustle plays. Kept a number of balls alive. A couple of tip-ins around the basket, just energy plays, hustle plays, challenged everything, loose balls. Everything at the rim was contested. You know, before he went to the G League, to now, you can just see he's figured out the kind of composure, how he needs to play, and how to use his energy with that," Finch said.

In four regular-season games for the Timberwolves' G League team, Beringer averaged 10.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. The numbers aren't exactly eye-popping, but for a 19-year-old, he's showing promise that he can be a player for Minnesota going forward.

When it comes down to it, the Timberwolves don't necessarily need Beringer to contribute just yet, as long as Naz Reid and Gobert are on the roster. Given Gobert is set to turn 34 this offseason, it's smart for the Timberwolves to have Beringer in waiting to potentially replace him as a defensive anchor for this team.

The Timberwolves have a strong mix of young and veteran talent, and he could very well be a part of this second timeline of players, alongside Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid.

However, Gobert should be returning to the lineup in their next contest, so who knows when Beringer will get his next opportunity to get quality minutes for Minnesota.