"When the Washington Wizards acquired combo guard Randy Foye as part of the deal that shipped the No. 5 pick in the draft to Minnesota, they envisioned he would be a key contributor to their 2009-10 redemption campaign.

But instead of serving as a reliable - and often explosive - sixth man, Foye has been reduced to spot-duty player/cheerleader.

Foye started the season as Gilbert Arenas' top backup but also thrived while playing alongside Arenas, sharing ball-handling duties for stretches. Through seven games, Foye was averaging a solid 12.8 points and 3.2 assists in 29 minutes a game.

But then in the eighth game, Foye badly sprained his right ankle. The Wizards picked up Earl Boykins the next day, and the 5-foot-5 spark plug became an instant favorite of coach Flip Saunders. Foye was healthy again two games later but never reclaimed his old job.

In the 16 games since coming back from injury, Foye has averaged just 4.3 points in 10.4 minutes a game. Boykins, meanwhile, got off to a hot start with the Wizards and even briefly led them in fourth-quarter scoring. He is averaging 8.8 points and 3.3 assists in 19.4 minutes off the bench. In the past week, Boykins' production and minutes have started to tail off as Saunders has started DeShawn Stevenson and frequently called on Nick Young off the bench. Foye has continued to be passed over in the rotation.

Foye, who boasts a team-best .973 free throw shooting percentage, has found the new role difficult to adjust to because he had established himself as a scorer and go-to guy late in games in his previous four seasons. "