Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
The Minnesota Timberwolves are caught in a classic damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't dilemma.
It works like this:
If the Wolves want to advance in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, possibly even to the NBA Finals, they need to get as much playing time as possible in the final 14 games for recently activated Michael Olowokandi, Troy Hudson and Wally Szczerbiak, regardless of how rusty they are and how many games they drop while they rediscover a rhythm with their teammates.
If the Wolves want to advance in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, they can't afford to drop too far in the Western Conference standings while Olowokandi, Hudson and Szczerbiak, who were out most of the first half of the season, find that rhythm.
"In order for us to get where we want to get and be what we want to be, all three of those guys have to be integral parts of what we're doing," Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said. "So sometimes we have to bite our lip a little bit and just play them and endure a little pain."
The pain derives from the fact that none of the three, all expected to be key contributors on one of the NBA's deepest rosters, have played well since returning to the lineup one month ago after extended absences.
After the Spurs beat them 106-86 at the SBC Center on Thursday, the Wolves' fifth loss in their past eight games, their tolerance for pain dropped considerably. The Spurs' 3-0 edge in the season series means the Wolves have to finish with a better record to get a higher seeding.
Worse yet is the psychological effect not winning Thursday's game had on the Wolves.
"After tonight there are 14 games to go," Saunders said hours before tipoff. "We're up three games in the loss column. If you get up four, five games in the loss column with 10 games to go, you make it very difficult for teams to catch you. We know one of two things is going to happen: If we take care of business we can make it where we keep a lot of pressure on other teams. You want to keep pressure on everybody, and if you keep winning you keep that pressure on other teams to do the same.
"If we don't, what happens is you know it's going to be a dogfight, all the way down. And that wouldn't surprise me at all."
Now the pressure swings back on the Wolves, and never mind they remain in first in the Midwest Division. And Saunders still has to work his "new" players back into that rhythm.
"The difficulty is they're just not playing very well right now," Saunders said. "If they were playing at a high level, giving us what they're capable of, it wouldn't be difficult. But they're just not."
Take Thursday night's game.
Please.
Olowokandi missed his first three shots, had two travelling violations in the first half alone and finished the game with only two points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes.
Szczerbiak went 0 for 3 in eight first-half minutes, but finished with 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
Hudson made only two of five shots and scored only five points in 17 minutes.
Thursday, at least, the Wolves were damned because they did.
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mikemonroe@express-news.net http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...31904.8f8f.html 
