This year’s draft class is lacking ideal depth at the center position compared to most of the recent draft classes. This year, the consensus top center is Khaman Maluach, as he’s a projected top-ten pick in the draft. Another center, as of recently, has started to catch up on draft boards. That center is Joan Beringer from France.

The 6-foot-11 big man has started in over half of the games for his team in the Liga ABA and Eurocup leagues. The significance in that is that Beringer is only in his third year of playing basketball and has rapidly improved each year of play. As of now, he’s still very raw and limited on the offensive end, but that’s expected for someone at that age and lack of experience.

What really attracts scouts and NBA decision-makers is his defensive versatility and upside at his size. Beringer does a great job of covering ground on the defensive end with how mobile and long he is at 6-foot-11. Not only is he able to cover a lot of ground, but he’s also very comfortable switching out onto the perimeter and defending in space.

Beringer does a great job of containing ball-handlers off the dribble and being very disruptive on the defensive end. This isn’t to say he will be a perimeter stopper, but if he’s able to switch out late into shot clock situations, then that will be a very valuable skill for him throughout his professional career.

The French center is one of the top rim protectors in the draft. He leads the Eurocup and Liga ABA in block percentage which is incredible to think about considering his age and limited playing experience. 

As he learns more nuances on the defensive end and gets a better understanding of where to consistently position himself, he has the chance to be one of the top defensive centers in the NBA one day, given his tools, flashes, and ability. The stock has been on the rise as of late for Beringer and don’t expect that to slow down any time soon.

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