In assessing Chauncey Billups' decision-making, coach Flip Saunders likens the Wolves' point guard to a spirited young quarterback who is learning, sometimes the hard way, how to read defenses: A great play might be followed by a bad read or two, followed by another good play.

Take the football analogy one step further.

Billups is a young quarterback who knows that even if he makes two or three bad plays, he is not going to get pulled by the head coach. Why? Because there is no grizzled veteran the coach can warm up on the sidelines.

The case can be made that for a team with postseason aspirations, this is a dangerous condition.

In leading the Timberwolves to a 112-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, Billups offered a powerful on-court rebuttal. In finishing with 30 points (including seven three-pointers), 11 assists and only three turnovers in 39 minutes, Billups demonstrated that this dangerous condition might occasionally have its hidden benefits.