Need a break from the Timberwolves rollercoaster? You got it! We’re bringing you our newest edition of Eyes on Iowa Wolves, where you get all the Iowa Wolves updates. You can show off to your coworkers, friends, or nieces/nephews that you know what Rocco Zikarsky’s true shooting percentage is.
Trust me. You’ll sound so cool.
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Player of the Month: Zyon Pullin (27.7p, 3.3r, 6a, .667/.545/.903)
Recap: Iowa was in prime position for a spot in Winter Showcase tournament spot behind the strong play of their backcourt. Pullin, Tristen Newton, and Jules Bernard, all averaged over 20 points each, spearheading a league-best offense.
Record: 5-6
Player of the Month: Tristen Newton (26.4p, 4.6r, 4.9a, .506/.374/.830)
Recap: Iowa stumbled as they lost previous POTM, Zyon Pullin, to a wrist injury. They missed out on the Winter Showcase playoff tournament, but found their form to end the month thanks to Tristen Newton’s outstanding play.
Timberwolves rookie Joan Beringer also made his debut this month with some impressive performances of his own.
January Overview
Overall Month Record: 8-5
Current Regular Season Record: 11-7
Current Standing: 4th in Western Conference
OFFRTG: 125.1 (3rd)
DEFRTG: 119.4 (18th)
NETRTG: 5.7 (6th)
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Just when it looked like the sails were adjusting back in the right direction, the Iowa roster was hit with another gut punch. On January 3rd, the Houston Rockets waived the 33rd pick of the 2024 NBA draft, Tyler Smith, and replaced his two-way spot by snagging Tristen Newton from the Wolves. In case you forgot, Newton was on a two-way contract with the Timberwolves last season and heading into the start of the 2025-2026 season, but Johnny Juzang won the preseason battle for that slot.
Just like that, Iowa lost it’s two leading (and most efficient) scorers who were also their primary ballhandlers (Pullin still out with injury). Not great. It was evident to start 2026, as they dropped two of their first three games in January.
Head Coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah was eventually going to get through the choppy waters though. Jules Bernard and Alize Johnson would adapt to their increased usage, helping Iowa win seven of their next ten games to end the month. Iowa also had a number of other players help fill the void in the backcourt. Nate Santos, a 3&D wing, and newly acquired guards Jalen Crutcher, a veteran G League point, and Dajuan Harris Jr, a defensive-minded guard, have all stepped up as well.
Iowa’s strong finish to January was important for their playoff chances. They rocketed back up to fourth in the Western Conference standings (Top eight make the postseason). The Wolves have failed to reach the playoffs in the past 11 seasons.
The drought could end soon if they keep riding this momentum.
The NBA recently announced the participants of the Castrol Rising Starstournament which included G League players for the fifth time. Former Timberwolves legend, Austin Rivers, was announced as the coach of Team G League, a collection of seven players that have played significant games in the G. Unfortunately, no Wolves made that team, unless you count Tristen Newton.
That said, January did not come and pass without any accolades for Iowa. Alize Johnson was named Player of the Week after averaging a whopping 33 points on 64% shooting from the field. Potential good news also soon followed, as it appears Zyon Pullin could be nearing a return. The Iowa broadcast mentioned during a January 27th game that Pullin’s wrist cast has come off so hopefully he’ll resume basketball activities soon.
Two-Way Wolves (And Joan) Update
Joan Beringer
Regular season:
7 GP | 27.5 MP | 11.6 PTS | 8.1 REB | 0.9 AST | 0.3 STL | 2.7 BLK | 1.3 TOV | 1.9 PF
57.6 FG% | 00.0 3P% | 58.3 FT%
The rookie played just the first two games of the month before being reassigned back with the Timberwolves. He made sure to get to work in those games though. In his last game with Iowa, his fellow rookie, Rocco Zikarsky, was unavailable due to an illness.
Beringer went on to have his best professional game of the season.
Going a perfect seven for seven from the field with loads of defensive highlights wasn’t too shabby. As Timberwolves fans have seen during recent stint with the main club, the game is certainly slowing down for the Frenchman. Minnesota Head Coach Chris Finch recently likened Beringer’s tendency to go after things like “a dog chasing a car” which is pretty apt, for better or worse.
Perhaps the most impressive development that Beringer has shown, other than increased game sense, is his touch around the rim. He’s been finishing more plays without needing to dunk the ball, hitting a few soft hooks and dinkers off the glass.
The ceiling remains the sky for Young Joan.
Rocco Zikarsky
Regular season:
30 GP | 23.1 MP | 13.9 PTS | 8.3 REB | 1.0 AST | 0.7 STL | 2.0 BLK | 2.0 TOV | 2.1 PF
53.0 FG% | 37.1 3P% | 79.2 FT%
Coming into January, the other 19-year-old rookie was shooting a ridiculous 48.4% mark from beyond the arc. That number caught the eye of numerous observers. Unfortunately, Zikarsky’s three-point percentage has since dropped down to 38.5% after shooting 29.7% from perimeter in January.
There is still reason for optimism for the seven-footer’s shooting development though.
His three-point volume has increased from 1.6 attempts per game in November, to 2.0 in December, to 3.1 in January. His free throw percentage has increased from 64.3%, to 76.9%, to 88.5% on increasing volume each month as well. The Australian’s true shooting percentage (63.9%) is well above league average. In fact, Zikarsky’s 37.1% three-point percentage would rank eighth among all active NBA centers, above the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Lauri Markkanen, or Victor Wembanyama.
Zikarsky played in 12 of 14 games in January, averaging a double-double in just 26 minutes per game. If he was on the floor as much as the leaders on his team, his per 36 minutes numbers would include 21.2 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.1 blocks.
There are still several areas of improvement that remain for the big man. He still gets pushed out of position far too often on both ends of the court. There are times he struggles to get up and down the court at an acceptable pace. Most importantly, he is far too careless with his high and loose handle. Zikarsky’s turnover issues also take shape in his tendency for throwing way too ambitious of passes on plays that just aren’t there.
Enrique Freeman
Regular season:
24 GP | 33.1 MP | 15.4 PTS | 8.3 REB | 1.9 AST | 0.6 STL | 0.7 BLK | 1.8 TOV | 2.8 PF
53.8 FG% | 28.6 3P% | 71.1 FT%
Similar to Zikarsky, Enrique Freeman had a promising month shooting the ball in December. A crucial part of his development was going to be his ability to space the floor. Unlike Zikarsky, the promise has been dissipating. His three-point percentage has plummeted down to well under 30%. It seems that Freeman is falling further into the category of dirty work, garbage bucket getter, and less as a potential versatile stretch big.
It wasn’t all negative for Freeman in January though. His two-point percentage is up, notching his best scoring month of the season. He’s still rebounding at a strong rate and been a consistent force in the frontcourt for Iowa. At 25 years old, it’s reasonable to consider what his ceiling may be and if the use of a two-way contract on him will be wise for the rest of the season.
Intriguing Prospects
Jules Bernard
Regular season:
31 GP | 33.8 MP | 22.3 PTS | 6.2 REB | 4.9 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.5 BLK | 2.9 TOV | 1.8 PF
43.9 FG% | 33.6 3P% | 76.8 FT%
One of the primary reasons for the Wolves hanging around in the playoff picture has been the improved play of Jules Bernard. The aforementioned losses of Pullin and Newton have thrust a ton of opportunity onto Bernard’s shoulders.
The numbers paint the picture clearly:
- November-December: 32 mins, 19.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists — Splits .415/.285/.754
- January: 35 mins, 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists — Splits .473/.394/.812
The most noticeable changes have been his huge scoring uptick and increased efficiency at all three levels. I was skeptical of his ability to be the lead guard due to his tendency to force up tough shots. However, he’s proven to be more than capable. His new found stroke from deep hasn’t stopped him from continuing to punish the paint with his physicality.
When looking at just the regular season, Bernard is second in the G League in total points scored behind just Tristen Newton (Fourth in points per game). The freshly turned 26-year-old has had a couple brief stints in the NBA before, but it looks like he is making quite the case for another shot if he keeps this play up.
Alize Johnson
Regular season:
32 GP | 34.6 MP | 19.2 PTS | 11.1 REB | 4.7 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.1 BLK | 1.9 TOV | 3.0 PF
55.3 FG% | 38.9 3P% | 70.4 FT%
Alize Johnson has continued to be a rock for this Iowa Wolves team. You would expect nothing less from the soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran. Often times when things bog down for Iowa, they turn to Johnson to get things going.
The results are usually good.
At this point, we know what Johnson excels at. He’s an aggressive rebounder. A plus passer playing in a point-forward role. An effective paint scorer despite lacking positional size. However, the one thing that should raise the eyebrows of scouts is his developing three-point shot. Johnson’s career history is littered with low to sub 30% seasons on low volume from perimeter.
This season?
- November: 0.6 3PM / 2.4 3PA (26.3%)
- December: 1.4 3PM / 3.6 3PA (37.5%)
- January: 1.8 3PM / 4.3 3PA (42.3%)
Is someone developing a three-point shot like this at age 30 believable and sustainable? Maybe. Was his January numbers boosted by an anomalous eight for eight display? Sure. But this is certainly something to keep track of as Johnson looks to make one final run at landing a NBA contract.
Nate Santos
Regular season:
32 GP | 21.6 MP | 10.2 PTS | 2.9 REB | 0.8 AST | 0.6 STL | 0.1 BLK | 1.1 TOV | 2.2 PF
43.1 FG% | 39.0 3P% | 78.0 FT%
If the Wolves had a “little fish gets eaten by a big fish, eaten by a bigger fish” graphic, it would look something like Nate Santos gets eaten by Jules Bernard, who gets eaten by Zyon Pullin.
They’re all stout, bulky guards who aren’t necessarily elite at any one skill, but can do a little of everything at a mediocre level.
There’s some different shades of skills they possess. On one end, you have Pullin who’s elite in the paint and not as much of a perimeter threat, then you have Santos who’s more of a perimeter threat and not as effective inside the arc.
The 24-year-old stands at six foot, seven inches (Don’t do it) so he has a bit of size to him. Santos was a four year college player for Pittsburgh and Dayton before going undrafted in 2025. He played for the Orlando Magic summer league squad before getting picked up by Iowa. The losses in the backcourt have thrust Santos into a larger role in 2026, and he’s responded.
The Puerto Rican native has been a much needed floor spacer for a Wolves team that is bottom five in the league in both three-point makes and attempts. He’s been in a little bit of a drought in the last three games, but prior to that, he was ripping nets at a crisp 45.6% mark from distance, on volume, in January.
He has potential to be a 3&D prospect to keep an eye on.
Tune in at the end of February for our next Eyes on Iowa update! If you don’t want to truly commit as a sicko by watching full Iowa Wolves games live, you can just follow me on BlueSky for occasional videos and updates.
