Wizards Rookie Big Man is Already Impressing in First Few Games

The Washington Wizards were forced to throw rookie big man Julian Reese directly into the fire, starting him in each of his first two appearances. Washington recently snagged the 22-year-old on a two-way contract in hopes of finding some depth at the center spot.

However, the Wizards likely didn’t believe they would have to rely on him this much this early. The injury-riddled frontcourt in Washington has forced Reese into a hefty role in each of his first two games, which he has handled surprisingly well.

After a rough first game that saw the DMV native record four turnovers and foul out in 28 minutes of action, he found his groove in game two, recording nine points, eight rebounds, and three assists. His performance in game two was good enough to impress his head coach Brian Keefe.

“I think I said it last night... super solid. He’s just learning our system, and he’s done really well with that. Give the coaches credit and him for studying that stuff,” Keefe said after the 109-126 loss to the Orlando Magic. “But you know, we can run our offense through him. You can see his passing ability. He’s fit, he’s big, he’s physical, he’s a good rebounder. I think he’s given us some good minutes here.”

Positive Early Returns

It’s rare to find a rookie who can give a team positive minutes as is, but it’s even more uncommon to find someone who can do so fresh off the street midseason. It’s unclear if Reese will be in the team’s long-term plans, due to Washington already having a fairly established young core. However, his skill set may be unique enough that the Wizards can extract value from him in ways other bigs can’t.

Washington Wizards Center Julian Rees — Mar 3, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Washington Wizards forward Julian Reese (15) takes a shot as Orlando Magic forward Noah Penda (93) tries to defend in the first half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

The Wizards already have their set-in-stone rim protectors, as both Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr have proven capable of anchoring a defense through elite rim protection. Washington recently converted Tristan Vukcevic to a standard deal as well, adding more offensive value and big-man depth to an already loaded room.

Longterm Outlook

The way Reese can fit into the group is by finding a different niche from the existing talent. While Davis, Sarr, and Vukcevic are talented in their own ways, none of them have the luxury of Reese’s switchability on the perimeter. Because of this, the Wizards can get more creative with how they use the six-foot-nine big man, particularly when mixing up how they defend ball screens.

Along with that, Reese has already proven to be more than willing to do the dirty work inside, fighting for rebounds and battling for loose balls — oftentimes playing too physical, resulting in fouls. Luckily, he likely won’t have to worry about foul trouble moving forward, as the Wizards probably won’t be asking Reese to give them more than a few spot minutes each half. His role may be small in the future, but Reese has proven capable of providing instant impact to a team that needed his abilities more than ever.

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