Story byBilly HeyenMon, January 12, 2026 at 2:50 PM UTC·1 min readTimberwolves coach wildly compared Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle to Yankees legend Derek Jeter originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. When you think of Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, you think of Derek Jeter, right?AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOh, you don't? You don't compare the Minnesota Timberwolves' frontcourt to the Hall of Fame shortstop from the New York Yankees?Well, that's apparently not a universal stance. Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori was recently asked about rookie big man Joan Beringer not getting more minutes. Nori responded, in part, that "it's kind of like being the backup shortstop for 20 years."Nori went on to explain that with Gobert, Randle and Naz Reid, there aren't a lot of frontcourt minutes to go around. But, well, that's quite the way to explain it. MORE: Joel Embiid is putting together a 'miracle'AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBeringer is an exciting, lanky, athletic player who has flashed in what mostly amount to garbage-time minutes. Basketball isn't quite baseball, though.
