Summer league report

LAS VEGAS – Here is who shined and struggled in NBA summer league play on Wednesday, according to various front-office personnel and scouts around the league.

SHINING

1. Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves – Foye was much more assertive on Wednesday night, looking for his shot and making some nice drives in finishing with 22 points in a 79-68 victory over San Antonio. He was 3-for-5 on three-pointers and made some tough floaters. Foye, the seventh overall pick in last year's draft, needs to play this aggressively in order to fully realize his potential.

2. Craig Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves – Smith has improved drastically in just one year. He still is strong and aggressive, but he has added a nice midrange jumper to his game. As evidenced by his 21 points against the Spurs, Smith will be a solid contributor next season for Minnesota.

3. Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons – Stuckey has established himself as one of the top players in summer league. He is strong with the ball, can shoot and can even post up. He made several nice finishes in scoring 17 points in an 84-70 win over Washington. Stuckey can do so much yet he never forces anything.

4. Nick Young, Washington Wizards – Young looked much more like the 16th pick of last month's draft. He shot the ball well and showed that he is going to be an excellent scorer. However, he needs to learn to play defense to avoid becoming another one-dimensional player for the Wizards. Young finished with 20 points in a loss to the Pistons.

5. Jason Maxiell, Detroit Pistons – Maxiell continued his impressive play in Vegas with 21 points and eight rebounds against Washington. He again displayed nice moves on the block and an ability to shoot from 20 feet. Even though he is much slimmer, he can still rebound. Both Maxiell and Stuckey should really improve Detroit’s depth next season.

6. Alando Tucker, Phoenix Suns – Tucker was great in a 104-101 loss to Philadelphia. He made strong moves toward the basket and showed an ability to hit the three-pointer while scoring a game-high 29 points. He has a nice midrange game, too. Tucker should immediately contribute for Phoenix.

7. Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers – Young played much better. He shot the ball better and was more involved in the game in totaling 20 points and 10 rebounds. He showed that he has NBA three-point range (2 for 4) and that he is more than just a slasher. It is going to be interesting to see how the Sixers find playing time and shots for all of their wing players next season.

8. Javaris Crittenton, Los Angeles Lakers – Crittenton was sensational once again. He got into the lane whenever he wanted and had several nice finishes. He also displayed some nice pull-up jumpers and will really help the Lakers in his rookie season. He finished with 26 points as the Lakers defeated Portland 81-73.

STRUGGLING

1. Marcus Williams, San Antonio Spurs – Williams has not shot the ball well throughout summer league. He has played very timid and seems almost afraid to be on the floor. Williams has a ton of potential but he consistently underachieves. His seven points on 2-for-10 shooting in a 92-85 loss to Milwaukee was just the latest example.

2. Yi Jianlian, Milwaukee Bucks – Instead of Yi not wanting Milwaukee, maybe Milwaukee does not want Yi. The No. 6 pick again struggled, making only one field goal (1-for-5 from the field) and finishing with a mere seven points to go with eight fouls and three turnovers in Team China's blowout loss to Boston. Yi still has a ton of potential, but there are now serious concerns over when he will fulfill it.