Confidence is good, but delusion is something different that Anthony Edwards makes sure rookie Joan Beringer remembers for a lifetime.
Minnesota Timberwolves’ 17th overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft learned that lesson the hard way when his preseason trash talk reached his seniors’ ears. The French big man claimed he could lock up Ant in one-on-one situations.
Edwards responded with an instant rejection with zero hesitation.
Anthony Edwards Hilariously Dismantles Joan Beringer’s Preseason Confidence
Back in October 2025, during preseason camp, Beringer made a bold declaration about his defensive abilities against the three-time All-Star.
“I get yelled at when I switch onto Edwards on defense,” the 19-year-old told reporters. “But honestly, I’ve got good footwork. Out of four one-on-ones, I can stop him two or three times.”
That’s a 50–75% success rate against one of the league’s deadliest scorers, but quite a bold claim from a rookie still finding his footing. When word reached Edwards during a recent presser — with Beringer sitting right next to him — Ant didn’t hold back.
“Who? Him?” Edwards said, checking at his teammate. “Nah, I’ll f— Joan up.”
Edwards is currently averaging a career-high 29.6 points along with 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Teams across the league struggle to guard him if they don’t follow the approach the Hornets took recently to stop Stephen Curry. In this scenario, the idea that Minnesota’s bench big could consistently stop him sounds extremely hilarious.
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
But Beringer deserves a thumbs-up for his confidence. At 6-foot-11, he scores mostly on lobs and cuts in the pick-and-roll. On defense, he stays tall to block shots at the rim and moves well enough to guard smaller players. Whether people agree or not, his defense is truly versatile.
Edwards even praised Beringer’s motor during training camp. “Joan don’t stop playing hard, he just don’t get tired,” Ant said in October. But defending a top-ten player in practice drills is vastly different from real game action.
Right now, the rookie forward is averaging 3.1 points across 17 appearances this season. So, his gap between confidence and reality got exposed real quick.
Edwards’ response shows he respects hustle but won’t tolerate delusion. For now, though, Beringer’s getting cooked if they go one-on-one.
