As you probably know, I (we) follow the D-League pretty closely over at RU, Rice Jr. didn't hit my radar until later in the season last year for obvious reasons (playing time). However, his lack of playing time early in the season was in large part due to the incredibly stacked roster that RGV had and carried throughout the season. They most certainly had the highest level of talent out of any NBADL team this past season.
Rice Jr. had to transition from the speed of the college game to the speed of the D-League which is a HUGE difference! I feel like that was something he worked on and it showed late in the season when he was more effective. He found a rhythm, and also spots on floor to enabled him success not only around the hoop, but also from long range. He figured out proper spacing which is a key element in the professional game as opposed to college.
He is a multi-skilled player offensively, he can shoot it obviously, but what impresses me is how reacts to contact and can finish around the hoop. Defensively, once again he had to adjust to the speed of the game as opposed to what he saw in college. From what I saw, he never was a liability later in the season defensively, and he picked up on head coach Nick Nurse's defensive schemes as the season progressed. RGV loved to get out and run, and he fit in with their high-powered offense, which was a product of their tenacity on defense.
As far as flaws go, I still think he needs more work on the basic fundamentals in set offensive formations. This will become even more important in Washington, but he has shown that he's a student of the game, so I'm confident he will pick things up fast. Obviously, there are the off-the-court issues in his past, has he matured and surpassed falling victim to these distractions? That's hard to say and I can't answer that. You mentioned a strong locker room in Wash, I think that will decide his future honestly, if he can latch on with one or two veterans, that will be huge for him!