http://www.twincities.com/timberwolves/ci_5563190?nclick_check=1 After his offense essentially disappeared following the all-star break, Mark Blount has shown signs of getting back on track. And as the focus shifts forward to next season, the question becomes which Blount will the Timberwolves get? Will they get the guy who for a two-month stretch nailed jumper after jumper while playing as if he deserved every penny of his original six-year, $38 million contract he signed with Boston? Or will they get the guy who, heading into Friday night's game against the Miami Heat, averaged just 10.5 points and 5.4 rebounds a game since the all-star break in February, numbers that improved slightly with his recent surge? The answer might be that they can expect a mix of both. "He's back to hitting shots and being more productive," forward Kevin Garnett said. "But everybody in the league goes through a little mini (lull)." Blount has scored in double figures in five consecutive games, including his 18 points in a 92-77 loss to Miami on Friday. That marked his highest-scoring game since March 6, when he had 18 against the Los Angeles Lakers. At his peak this season, Blount averaged 16.2 points, 54.7 percent shooting and 6.9 rebounds in a 28-game span. "He was playing as good as he's played, I think," coach Randy Wittman said. "He's proven he can play at that level. He's got to look to be consistent at that level. I don't want to say that's the best he can play. He can still improve, do that." A different rhythm: The Heat entered the game 38-33, with a mere eight wins more than the Wolves. But because of the way they've played of late, they're a favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference playoffs and make it back to the NBA Finals. Miami probably will be seeded from third to sixth in the East playoffs. The Wolves, on the other hand, are headed for their third consecutive season of missing the playoffs. "It shows the differences in the conferences," Garnett said. The Wolves never showed a consistent focus this season. Often, they had volatile swings from game to game. How else could they go on the road and defeat Detroit and then, in their next game, get blown out at home by lowly Atlanta, something that happened in January? "Our thing is consistency, focusing every night," Garnett said. "That's the thing between good teams and bad teams - you consistently have a passion." Briefly: Here's a Final Four prediction: Wittman picked Florida to win the NCAA championship over Georgetown, 73-68, on Monday night. Blount also picked the Gators to win it all, no doubt in part because he has family in Florida. --

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