At times this season, he has been harder to figure out than a Nancy Drew mystery.

Bryce Drew - no relation - has alternately been good and bad, and bad and good, and bad and bad during his first season with the Charlotte Hornets.

But the only time that matters is the present, and Drew is making a solid contribution these days as the Hornets return from the All-Star break to meet the Chicago Bulls tonight at the Charlotte Coliseum.

He's coming off one of his best games, a 13-point, six-rebound effort in 32 minutes against Philadelphia last Thursday, and has generally done a good job of stepping up since David Wesley went out with a foot injury two weeks ago.

"We knew when David went out that we were all going to have to pick up our games," Drew said yesterday. "When you lose 15 points it's not like one person is going to step in and pick that up. We've had to do it collectively. I've just gone out and tried to give a good effort and give us a spark off the bench, and fortunately I've been able to do that lately."

Drew has scored in double figures twice in the past five games, with a season-high 15 in a win at San Antonio on Jan. 29.

"He's done very well since David went out," Coach Paul Silas said. "Our plus-minus when he's on the court is really good, no matter what group he's with. He's stepped in and done very well."

This is what the Hornets were hoping for when they signed Drew as a free agent last July.

They saw him as a heady player with excellent range who could play either guard spot. And after watching him for two seasons in Houston and one in Chicago, they thought he was on the verge of coming into his own.

It didn't happen early, though.

Drew went scoreless in six of his first eight games, and scored in double figures just once in the first 30 games. He's still averaging just 4.1 points and 1.8 assists in 47 games.

"I was very concerned early in the season," Silas said. "I mean, when things weren't going well, you wonder. Is it ever going to come? The things we saw when we worked him out in the summer, we didn't see early on. And so you wonder.

"But little by little, I kept faith in him and played him and eventually he started to come around."

So what got Drew going?

"He's more confident now, and he's more comfortable with the system, and he's looking to take his shots when he has them," Silas said.

"Before, he was passing them up, pump-faking and looking to pass and that sort of thing. Now, there's no hesitation at all. And he knows I want him taking those shots. So it's just a matter of him fitting in better and becoming more comfortable, and quite frankly, me becoming more comfortable with him."

Drew says he's just glad things are working out now.

"Obviously, you're excited when you get a chance to get more minutes," he said. "I'm feeling comfortable and I'm playing with a lot of confidence right now. But the only thing that really matters is winning. I just want to do whatever I can to help this team win."

The Hornets will be short-handed again for tonight's game. Matt Bullard continues to suffer from back spasms and will not suit up.