If only someone would find Christian Laettner a good marker, then he might be happy.

Laettner is in the middle of an autograph assembly line, signing his name to hundreds of blue-green-and-white basketballs after a Minnesota Timberwolves practice. And the black marker he’s using gets fainter and fainter.

“Can’t someone get me a pen that works,” he gripes between questions about a career that has been as indistinct as his signature for the 3-1/2 seasons since he left Duke.

Finally, a team employee breaks out a new marker, and Laettner at last seems content.

“See how good this marker’s working. Whoo, that’s working great,” he howls. “See, now I won’t (complain). For 10 minutes I won’t complain about the marker. But when it runs out, then I’m going to complain again.”

Welcome to Christian’s World, a place where nothing but perfection is good enough and no one is safe from Laettner’s biting tongue as long as they settle for anything less.

“I’ve always said a person’s greatest strength is his greatest weakness,” said Wolves coach and general manager Flip Saunders. “His greatest strength is his competitiveness. But that can also be somewhat of a weakness in that he is either misquoted or taken out of context because of what he says a lot of times.

“Everything for Christian has to do with winning. That’s why he’s the type of player he is, because of his competitiveness.”

There are those who would say that’s also what makes Laettner a pain. Even though he was occasionally chided for the outbursts his intensity inspired at Duke, his demeanor still was admired by outsiders as the Blue Devils kept on winning and Laettner was named college basketball’s player of the year in 1992.

But Laettner’s personality got him in trouble during his first two seasons with the hapless Wolves. He has learned discretion over the past season and a half, a trait that has helped him improve on the court.

Laettner is having his best season in the NBA and has a chance to become the first Minnesota player selected for the All-Star game.

“I’m happy for Christian and the success he’s having this year,” said San Antonio coach Bob Hill. “He’s been used to winning from his college days, and I know the situation with all the losing has been hard on him. It’s good to see him enjoying some personal success. He’s a good player, and he’s good people.”

Laettner’s emergence has been slow, partly because he has been reluctant to talk to the media since the start of last season. To most of the public, especially outside Minnesota, he remains the aloof, chilly superbrat who alienated teammates, coaches and fans with his tantrums and me-first attitude during his first two years in the league.

“I’m not worried about that,” Laettner said. “I mean, I can’t go around trying to change people’s views of me. If their views are that way because of what they read in the paper, then I don’t care.

“Because (the media) can make you sound like the Almighty sometimes, and then they can make you sound like you’re the devil. It’s not right either way.”

Laettner’s biggest obstacle to regaining his status as one of the nation’s best basketball players has been the Wolves. Minnesota set an NBA record last season with its fourth consecutive 60-loss campaign.

The Wolves have only appeared on national television once a year since they joined the NBA in 1989, making their annual TNT appearance in Wednesday night’s 101-91 loss to the Phoenix Suns. Four national TV games was a slow month when Laettner was at Duke.

As a rookie, Laettner was one of the NBA’s most marketable young players. His commercial deals included McDonald’s and Target.

Lately, his only endorsement has been a recycled ad for ethanol producers, a spot done two years ago in which he urges the public to be environmentally friendly.

But Laettner’s switch to center this season has sparked a personal surge. He is averaging a team- and career-high 19.3 points a game, and is second to Tom Gugliotta in rebounding with 7.2 a game through Wednesday.

A sign of Laettner’s new maturity came during that loss to the Suns.

With the Wolves struggling to protect a lead during the second quarter, Laettner quietly approached Saunders and said, “You’ve got to tell the point guards that I’m wide open down there.”

Two minutes later, Darrick Martin fed Laettner in the post for the basket that gave the Wolves a 51-46 halftime lead.

The Wolves went on to their 28th loss of the season; if Laettner has learned to cope with the losing, he still doesn’t accept it.

“It’s harder to stick with it when you’re not getting any payback from it except the paycheck,” he said. “Are you playing this game for the money or are you playing it to win? I think I’m playing it to win, so the reward you want to get for your work is the winning.”