BIG MAN Joan Beringer has been impressing throughout his short junior career in Europe recently, and will slot into an NBA rotation nicely when he is inevitably selected at the 2025 NBA Draft late next month.

At six-foot-11, Beringer is an immensely impressive physical profile, and has developed at a rapid rate after only beginning his basketball journey three years ago. Although playing the center, he has the speed of a guard, making him a tremendously exciting prospect.

Although he could certainly put on some size to throw his weight around in the paint and his offensive work needs some improvement, his defensive versatility and height/speed combination make him worthy of a first round selection.

Playing for Cedevita in Croatia, Beringer posted averages of 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.4 blocks on 62 per cent shooting from the field in an impressive start to his career.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will run through some of the clearest comparisons to already established NBA talents, with Beringer looking quite similar to some impactful two-way big men currently in the NBA.

Daniel Gafford – Dallas Mavericks

Now reaching the peak of his powers, Gafford has made himself a truly valuable piece on an NBA roster with his impact on both ends of the floor. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 38th overall selection in 2019, and although it was a slow start to his career in the Windy City, a move to the Washington Wizards saw him emerge as an excellent performer in the frontcourt, and he played a vital role for a Mavericks team that made the NBA Finals in 2024. He is an extremely efficient scorer, leading the league in field goal percentage for the 2023/24 season at 72.5 per cent, while he has averaged 1.5 blocks per game for his career. Beringer has the same defensive versatility that has made Gafford such a valuable player, and will be looking to develop the offensive side of his game just as much.

Clint Capela – Atlanta Hawks

One of the biggest double-double machines in the NBA, Capela has been widely known for his rebounding and shotblocking, both traits possessed by Beringer. Capela joined the Houston Rockets with the 25th pick of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, and quickly locked down the starting center spot with the team in their championship window. He developed into a consistent lob threat who was as good as anyone at crashing the glass, and after he moved to the Hawks in 2020, the big man led the NBA in rebounds during his first season with the team. Another efficient scorer, Capela has worked best next to a point guard with elite passing skills, working well in pick and roll situations and crashing the glass on both ends, so teams with a strong playmaker at the one will see the potential in Beringer come draft time.

Rudy Gobert – Minnesota Timberwolves

Although this is the biggest stretch of the three comparisons given Gobert is one of the greatest defenders to ever play the game, there is certainly a case if Beringer can reach his potential. A fellow Frenchman, Gobert was drafted with the 27th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz and has since won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award four times, which is equal-most in history alongside Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, and has anchored the defence of both the Jazz and the Timberwolves throughout his career. He is still playing a crucial role for Minnesota in its playoff run, despite being in the twilight of his career at 32 years old, and has been one of the best at affecting and blocking shots from the opposition. Although it is a lot to ask Beringer to reach such heights of defensive impact, but with such height and speed, his versatility on that end of the floor is immense, so there is certainly a case to be made.