http://www.startribune.com/511/story/975773.html The Timberwolves soon will be making a Texas two-step through Houston and Dallas. But that doesn't mean Mike James will take a walk through the past. James is the Wolves' starting point guard. He has not been the finishing point guard, which is why he might be pondering how things might have been different. Last summer, both the Rockets and Mavericks were among the teams that wooed James before he signed with the Timberwolves. His time in Minnesota hasn't gone the way he'd hoped. "It can always be better," James said Thursday, before the Wolves left for Oklahoma City for tonight's game with the Hornets. The Wolves play in Dallas on Saturday and in Houston on Monday. "I'm not happy with everything. But then, I'm not happy with the way we've given up some games." James is trying to find his place, especially in the offense. James put up pretty impressive numbers in Toronto last season, resulting in his four-year deal with the Wolves, one worth more than $23 million. This season James is averaging 11.3 points and 4.2 assists while playing nearly 30 minutes per game. He has given way to rookie Randy Foye more and more during the fourth quarters of games. In Wednesday's loss to the Kings at Target Center, Foye turned the ball over on consecutive possessions in the final moments of the game. Randy Wittman, coaching in his fifth game since taking over for Dwane Casey, wrote off those turnovers as rookie mistakes, things that have to be lived through. But it's clear that, at least in the short term, the Wolves would be better off with a seasoned pro in those situations. But this seasoned pro needs to do more before that happens. Wittman has put a lot of pressure on his point guards to run the offense the way he wants it run. That means controlling tempo, making sure the players are in the right spot on the court, and calling the right plays. It's not that James' play often makes fans wince. It's more that James often blends in to the point where you really don't notice him enough. "My father used to tell me that if you're out on the floor and I really don't know you're out there, you ain't doing much," Wittman said. "It doesn't have to be offensive numbers; it has to be activity." James acknowledged that a desire to fit in with his teammates early in the season might have gotten him out of his game. A half-season later, he's still trying to find his groove. "We're still getting stagnant at times," Wittman said. "I think it's also very important for him to get everyone involved early in the game -- and for him to trust me to get him involved, when I know [he's] got it going. That's the main thing both he and Randy need to do." To James, the most important thing is to re-inject emotion into his game. "When I'm at my best is when I'm out there having fun," James said. "And a lot of times this season I haven't found myself out there having fun out there. That's what I have to get back to, smiling on the court, having my emotion." But one emotion he won't allow himself is regret. Would things have been different if he had signed with Houston or Dallas? Don't ask him. "I stick with the decision I made, whether it's good or bad," James said. "You have to live with the decisions you make. I never live with regret." --

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