"Perhaps it's still too soon for Jonny Flynn to make a definitive statement that he's ready to be the Timberwolves' floor leader again.

With Luke Ridnour excused from Wednesday night's game against Memphis at Target Center to tend to a family matter, the second-year point guard made his first start of the season.

What could have been a seize-the-moment opportunity became more of an intangible breakthrough for Flynn during the Wolves' 102-84 loss in front of 12,662 fans, many of whom booed in the third quarter when the Wolves (11-37) fell behind by 20.

Flynn, laboring for nearly four months as he battles back from hip surgery in July, is putting a higher priority on his rehab progress than trying to become the Wolves' starting point guard again. He's leaving that decision up to coach Kurt Rambis.

"I think I made a great step tonight in getting back to where I was with the amount of minutes I played," said Flynn, who was on the floor for a season-high 26 minutes. "I definitely felt good out there and could feel my rhythm coming back. I just wish I could have organized us much better and got more touches for (Wolves forward Kevin Love). I take responsibility for that. We have to have him scoring for us to win."

Flynn, who has backed up Ridnour the past 22 games since being activated on Dec. 14, did not know he was going to start until he arrived at Target Center. Though he made 81 starts as a rookie last season, he has not had much time this season with the first unit. The lack of quality minutes with the starters might have been an issue for Flynn in getting the ball more to Love.

Love managed only three field-goal attempts in the first half and only four as the fourth quarter started. Flynn has come to realize he's in a "rehab season" and that it might take the entire 82-game schedule to regain the comfort and confidence he displayed last season.

"I'm still trying to figure things out, but I'm seeing things better, and I'm driving to the basket more," Flynn said.

Flynn finished with 11 points, five assists, two steals and one turnover, but Rambis would only say he and backup point guard Sebastian Telfair "did some good things out there" when asked to assess their performance. That evaluation might have been lenient. "