Wizards' Julian Reese Off to Historic Start to NBA Career

Wizards rookie Julian Reese ties a record with Shaq.

Apr 5, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Julian Reese (15) goes to the basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

As the 2025–26 season dwindles down, the Washington Wizards continue to dive into their bench, scraping the ground floor in hopes of finding any young player who can impact the team moving forward. Washington has already done a good job setting the ground floor for the future of its franchise, investing in high draft picks and All-NBA talent that can lead the team to success down the line. However, every good team needs great role players, and the Wizards may have stumbled into one hiding in broad daylight.

That player being rookie center Julian Reese, who since being added to Washington’s roster on a two-way contract has been stellar. The rookie recently tied NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal’s record of fastest player to 100 rebounds — a record that stood for 34 years. Reese has brought real impact to the team since the second he stepped foot on the court in D.C.

CRAZY — Julian Reese is now tied as the fastest player to reach 100 career rebounds since Shaq in 1992. 🤯🔥

(via @realapp) https://t.co/Aj2KAjK4kj pic.twitter.com/ial6ANgKfW

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 5, 2026

What makes Reese so intriguing for the Wizards long term is his combination of production and youth. As previously mentioned, Reese has broken records already in regard to his rebounding prowess, but it isn’t just that making him so impactful.

Reese has been an all-around contributor for the team, posting averages of 10.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals — numbers that may not even do full justice to his impact. The 22-year-old has been stellar around the basket in general, finishing 57.5% of his looks there. Along with that, he has flashed as a mid-post and short-roll playmaker, showcasing some real passing feel that isn’t exactly reflected in his 8.2% assist rate.

However, the rebounding ability is absolutely real. It’s so rare to see any player post a rebounding rate of 20.2%, nonetheless a rookie. Reese’s 14.8% offensive rebounding rate would rank fourth in the league if he played the qualified number of games, quantifying just how good he has been on the glass.

Apr 5, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Julian Reese (15) goes to the basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Despite his clear tools, there are some areas that Reese struggles in that could factor into him not being a part of Washington’s long-term plans. For one, he doesn’t protect the rim particularly well, especially for being a center, posting a block rate of just 1.0%. On top of that, Reese’s touch when pushed away from the rim is more than questionable, making him somewhat limited on the offensive end.

With that in mind, if Reese can continue to build upon the historical start he has had to his NBA career, it will be hard to deny him a spot in the Wizards’ future plans.

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