When center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has played, the Cavaliers usually have won. When he has been injured, they usually have lost. Numbers have backed that up since Ilgauskas was drafted in 1996.

Then again, the stock market used to be a sure thing, and no longer is. Such is the case with Ilgauskas. He's back, but the Cavs (12-18) aren't winning.

Since the 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas returned Dec. 4 after missing the first 17 games to recover from off-season foot surgery, the Cavs are 6-7. Three of the wins have come over Chicago, Miami and Houston, which have the NBA's three worst records.

The Cavs' record with Ilgauskas still is better than the 6-11 that they were before he came back. But the Cavs had won four of the six games that they played before his return, which had created even more optimism.

``Yeah, I did,'' said guard and team captain Bimbo Coles, when asked if he thought the Cavs would have a better record so far with Ilgauskas. ``It's a learning process for us to play with Z. Everybody still has to understand how to play with Z.''

Playing with Ilgauskas traditionally has not been a problem. Before his latest return, the Cavs were 64-47 when he played and 115-169 when he was out with one of his many foot problems.

Cavs coach John Lucas, who vowed when Ilgauskas returned that he wouldn't be a ``savior,'' points out that many of those wins came when Ilgauskas had an in-shape Shawn Kemp playing alongside him. That's true. But Kemp wasn't around last season, and the Cavs still went 15-9 with Ilgauskas.

``That team had better veterans,'' Lucas said. ``That team had (Clarence Weatherspoon), (Chris) Gatling and Matt Harpring.''

That team also didn't have Ilgauskas playing limited minutes. Ilgauskas, before suffering a season-ending broken left foot, averaged 11.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.54 blocks and 25.7 minutes in 24 games. Ilgauskas this season is only allowed to play 24 minutes a game or 40 minutes in two games when the Cavs play on back-to-back nights.

Although Ilgauskas is averaging 18.4 minutes, he's actually putting up more points (12.2) and more blocked shots (1.69) per game than last season. His rebounding, though, is down to 4.5.

``I'm not going to win games by myself,'' Ilgauskas said. ``But I'm not myself. Not yet anyway. And I'm still getting used to playing limited minutes.''

So are his teammates. Lucas concedes that it hasn't helped that he has been inconsistent with how he has used Ilgauskas. First, he brought him off the bench for stints in the first and second half. Then he didn't play Dec. 22 in the first half against Indiana but came off the bench in the second half. Ilgauskas started last Wednesday against New Jersey, but he was out of minutes midway through the fourth quarter.

In the past two games, Lucas has brought Ilgauskas off the bench. That's how it figures to remain for a while.

``Until I get more minutes, I want to make sure that I don't lose him at the end of games,'' Lucas said.

Ilgauskas will be evaluated after he has played a month. Lucas is hopeful that top Cavs officials, who are taking no chances with Ilgauskas' health, will grant him a few extra minutes. But Lucas concedes that it's unlikely.

``Who's he going to ask, Santa?,'' said Ilgauskas, who said he feels good enough to play a bit more, but that it's ``out of my hands.''

With that in mind, Coles said the Cavs must take better advantage of the times that they have Ilgauskas. The Cavs have outscored foes 464-452 with Ilgauskas on the court and have been outscored 789-765 when he's on the bench.

``Right now, when he comes into the game, we're trying to force the issue a little bit,'' Coles said. ``Sometimes we pass up shots when we're open just to get the ball inside to Z. We've got to understand when to throw it in to him and when to take shots. Right now, it's still a learning process. We've got to play through it and keep plugging away.''

Lucas, who hopes to get 12-year veteran Tyrone Hill back next month from a back injury, said it also hasn't helped matters that he has been unable to ``put another veteran'' big man on the court at the same time as Ilgauskas. But leave it Ilgauskas to put matters in perspective.

``I'm sure (Lucas would) rather have me for 24 minutes a game than zero,'' Ilgauskas said.