The end of the month has approached, thus bringing us our second edition of Eyes on Iowa Wolves. In case this is your first time tuning in, Canis Hoopus will be bringing you monthly updates on Timberwolves
G League affiliate, their two-way players, and promising prospects putting in work.
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December Overview
Overall Month Record: 5-5
Showcase Cup Final Record: 8-6
Current Regular Season Record: 3-1
Current Standing: 3rd in Western Conference
OFFRTG: 129.0 (3rd)
DEFRTG: 121.4 (19th)
NETRTG: 7.6 (5th)
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Iowa was in great position to be one of the eight Winter Showcase tournament teams, but they faltered early in December despite adding the Timberwolves 17th pick of the 2025 NBA draft, Joan Beringer, to their starting lineup. They opened the month by dropping four of their first five games, ending their hopes of making the tournament. Their bottom 10 defense faltered early by giving up consecutive games of 130+ to a pair of teams, before their top three offense unexpectedly faltered.
One of their most standout players up till this point was the 24-year-old guard, Zyon Pullin. Unfortunately, after Iowa’s slow five-game start to the month, Pullin has been shelved with an apparent right wrist injury, missing the last six Wolves games. They split a pair of rather meaningless games against the Wisconsin Herd (Featuring NBA vets like Victor Oladipo and Dennis Smith Jr) as they joined the other 30 G League teams in Florida for the remaining portion of the “Tip Off Tournament.”
Yes, despite not making it to the single-elimination tournament to crown a Winter Showcase Champion, all 31 G League teams still head to the Orange County Convention Center to play some basketball. This is always most notable as all 30 NBA teams generally have their scouts and execs present to get a front row look at all the potential prospects in town. This year, the G League also used these games to begin their “regular season” thus teams who weren’t in competition for the “Showcase Crown” would still have meaningful games to play.
Iowa finally started to look more like themselves in Orlando.
They recharged their offense behind former two-way player, Tristen Newton. He averaged over 30 points in Florida, as Iowa won both games by over 16 points, beginning their regular season with a 2-0 record. It seemed like the Wolves were firing on all cylinders.
Unfortunately, as this happens frequently in the G, Iowa lost a slew of their frontcourt due to call-ups. Beringer, Rocco Zikarsky, and Enrique Freeman all went directly from the Florida bubble to join Minnesota this last week. Though none of them really had a role in the Timberwolves games, they hopefully got valuable experience practicing with the big squad. Iowa suffered as a result though, dropping a close game against the Greensboro Swarm without them.
Zikarsky was the first to return to Iowa, helping them get right back into the win column, where they now sit at 3-1 on the regular season. They have one more game to play today against the Delaware Blue Coasts again.
Two-Way Wolves (And Joan) Update
Joan Beringer
Regular season:
5 GP | 26.3 MP | 11.0 PTS | 7.2 REB | 0.8 AST | 0.0 STL | 2.4 BLK | 1.2 TOV | 2.2 PF
51.2 FG% | 00.0 3P% | 58.3 FT%
Beringer had an interesting first stint in the G League. He was immediately slotted into the starting lineup against a tough Motor City Cruise frontcourt. His athleticism immediately popped on the court, gliding up and down the court like a gazelle. His first, second, and third jumps look like simple plyometric drills. He chases down unsuspecting opponents like he’s playing volleyball. This is evidenced by some of his eye-popping (but small sample size) numbers. His astounding rate 17.1 ORB% and impressive 7.9 BLK% would both be top five in the NBA.
The freshly turned 19-year-old also looks his age in terms of experience. He fouled out in the first Iowa Wolves game, often getting rag-dolled by the girthier, more physical opponent in Tolu Smith. It’s not uncommon to see Beringer get crunched directly under the rim like a poor high school freshman into a locker. His lack of experience (and likely communication barriers) have also resulted in him being in no man’s land on defense. A late rotation or missed assignment wasn’t rare to see. Naturally, this should improve over time and with more reps.
Rocco Zikarsky
Regular season:
17 GP | 20.7 MP | 12.6 PTS | 6.8 REB | 0.9 AST | 0.7 STL | 1.9 BLK | 1.7 TOV | 2.6 PF
54.5 FG% | 48.4 3P% | 69.2 FT%
The big Aussie continues to flash a ton of potential. The three-point shooting is now past the stage of variance, and to the stage of reliable. The 1.8 3PA doesn’t make him a volume shooter, but his attempts have increased from 1.6 in November, to 2.0 in December while his percentage increased from 38.5% in November, to 55.6% in December.
The 19-year-old can shoot.
Zikarsky also has a number of other tangible skills that wow you throughout a game. The AST/TOV ratio continues to struggle (His high dribble often gets him into trouble), but every now and then, he’ll fling a pass that makes your jaw drop. The rim protection is still reliable (7.8 BLK% is right next to Beringer). He also has a bit of nasty to his game, talking trash to opponents after a big dunk or block to get his teammates fired up.
I’d still like to see Zikarsky work on his strength. Similar to his fellow teenage rookie, he often gets bulled deep in the paint. He may not have the same athleticism as Beringer, but he does have the additional size and wingspan to make up for that. That said, opponents are smart enough to attack Zikarsky’s body and put him into awkward situations. He’s got to learn how to neutralize opponents by doing his work early.
Enrique Freeman
Regular season:
13 GP | 31.4 MP | 14.5 PTS | 7.8 REB | 2.0 AST | 0.6 STL | 0.8 BLK | 2.0 TOV | 2.4 PF
52.4 FG% | 31.0 3P% | 75.0 FT%
It’s been a slow start for Freeman this season. His minutes and overall numbers are down from his first season in the G League with Indiana, but he’s still been productive. In his most recent game with Iowa prior to being called up with Minnesota, he had his best performance for the season. Freeman scored a season-best 26 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the field against Westchester, a great encapsulation of his no frills type of effort.
One of the more promising developments for Freeman has been his stroke from deep. Part of the intrigue of the 25-year-old was his potential to shoot from distance, but after shooting 20% on 2.5 attempts in November, it didn’t look promising. However, in his seven December games, he’s improved that to 37% on 3.9 attempts per game. If he can continue on this trend, then Freeman might have a shot at developing into an NBA player one day.
Intriguing Prospects
Tristen Newton
Regular season:
18 GP | 36.1 MP | 26.6 PTS | 4.7 REB | 7.6 AST | 2.0 STL | 0.3 BLK | 3.3 TOV | 2.4 PF
49.1 FG% | 36.7 3P% | 86.5 FT%
Just like in November, Newton has continued to lead the Wolves on the court. He’s third in the entire G League in scoring, and eighth in assists. The most amazing part of Newton’s evolution from his rookie season last year to this season has been his efficiency. After shooting 40% from the field last season, he’s continued to maintain close to 50% shooting from month-to-month this season.
He’s led the team in minutes per game and has hardly wavered in production. His best performance of the year was against Birmingham, where Newton popped off for a career-best 41 points including eight triples. It was a sight to behold as he poured in buckets in all different ways.
His two-game showcase in Orlando helped him make the All Winter Showcase Team. It’s only a matter of time before Newton lands a two-way contract, or better, soon. He’s continued to show he belongs on an NBA roster.
Jules Bernard
Regular season:
17 GP | 32.2 MP | 19.6 PTS | 6.9 REB | 4.3 AST | 1.1 STL | 0.2 BLK | 3.0 TOV | 2.0 PF
41.6 FG% | 28.8 3P% | 71.9 FT%
In Pullin’s stead, Jules Bernard has upped his usage with the Iowa Wolves. His scoring has ticked up a bit while his perimeter shooting has also improved to a respectable 35% during this period. If you watch Bernard on the court, you’ll immediately notice his physical style of play. He’s a body-contact-seeking missile when he drives, looking to go through a defender’s chest, for better or worse.
Bernard is far from a perfect prospect. He’s quite the chucker and can also be turnover prone. That said, he’s been a consistent body out there and is never afraid of getting his hands dirty. Bernard will crash the boards hard, dive out of bounds to save a ball, or put his body on the line to take a charge.
Alize Johnson
Regular season:
18 GP | 31.9 MP | 17.6 PTS | 10.6 REB | 3.8 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.1 BLK | 1.5 TOV | 2.9 PF
55.0 FG% | 35.1 3P% | 69.4 FT%
The senior most member of the Iowa Wolves has declined a bit in production in the month of December. This had to do a little bit with Beringer’s five-game stint, as Johnson scored in just single digits in four of those matches. He still continues to be a bull on the glass though, maintaining his status as a top 10 rebounder in the G League.
The most eye-catching performances from Johnson were a pair of games where he sank five three-pointers on over 55% shooting from deep. In his nearly 10 seasons combined between the NBA and G League, he’s only hit five treys once. It seems unlikely Johnson is going to turn into a threat from deep now, but his unorthodox style of scoring can always churn out a wild performance like this.
The point-forward continues to be a force on the court. He’ll fight off opponents for a defensive rebound, then sprint down the court with the ball, before dropping a behind-the-back pass to a teammate.
Zyon Pullin
Regular season:
11 GP | 34.7 MP | 23.0 PTS | 3.3 REB | 5.8 AST | 0.6 STL | 0.2 BLK | 1.9 TOV | 2.1 PF
58.5 FG% | 50.0 3P% | 86.4 FT%
Unfortunately, the reigning G League Player of the Month lasted just four games in December before going down with a wrist injury. I don’t have much more details to share about that, but it’s possible it effected his play before he finally sat out to address it. He averaged just 14.8 points per game on 40% from the field this month. There doesn’t appear to be a timetable for his return, so the Wolves have had to compete without him.
This brings our second edition of Eyes on Iowa Wolves to a close. Will Joan Beringer continue to get opportunities with Iowa? How will Rocco Zikarsky improve on his flaws? How long will Tristen Newton remain a a free agent? We may have some answers for you by the end of January.
