Rudy Gobert Is Coaching Joan Beringer in French From the Sideline

Joan Beringer is still early in his NBA development, and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Pablo Prigioni says he's getting some help from a familiar voice.

Prigioni was asked about Beringer's growth and the importance of Rudy Gobert, and his answer was simple. He said it comes down to consistency for Beringer, taking the things he's already doing well and doing them even better. "Having Rudy next to him is huge," Prigioni said, per Andrew Dukowitz on X.

Part of that is the constant communication between the two bigs. Prigioni said he sees them talking in practices, and it carries over to games too. He said Gobert is out there yelling in French during games, and nobody else knows what he's saying. Prigioni laughed about that part, but made it clear that Gobert is coaching Beringer from the side the whole time.

It makes sense for both of them. Gobert and Beringer are both from France, so Gobert can give him instructions in the language he's most comfortable with, and he can do it in real time without the rest of the building following along.

For a young big man, having a veteran next to him who has seen everything the NBA throws at centers is a pretty good setup. Beringer doesn't have to wait for a film session to hear what he did wrong or right. He gets it live, in French, and apparently at full volume. That should only help him keep building on what he already does well.