---

Stockton-to-Malone became one word in the vocabulary of play-by-play announcers everywhere, but since that dynamic duo broke up, the 19-year playoff streak ended, and the Jazz haven’t been back since.

Can Williams-to-Okur ever get the same ring? No, but it’s a start.

While Carlos Boozer is out with a mysterious hamstring injury, Mehmet Okur has seen his playing time increase, and he’s found himself primarily playing the 4. The 19 and 9 that belonged to Boozer last year now belong to Okur, and the Turkish center is taking full advantage. Nothing helps a rookie point guard than knowing who his go-to guy is, and that’s what Okur has become for Deron Williams.

Speaking of Deron Williams, why did Jerry Sloan decide to bring Williams off the bench and start Keith McLeod? I think it’s wise of Jerry to bring the rookie along slowly. Deron gets starters minutes, but his introduction to the NBA is by spending the second quarter against the opponent’s backup point guard, get his confidence up, and then he can do what he does best in fourth quarters – finish games. The Jazz have thus far showed more composure in the fourth quarter compared to last year, and that’s partially due to the level-headed play of Williams.

Now Andrei Kirilenko is a max money guy, and his poor shot selection suggests he’s trying too hard to prove he’s earned his money by getting points. He still finds a way to get nine rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and two steals. AK47 will collect another 5 X 5 night or two this season.

The Jazz have a great opportunity to return to the playoffs this year. Heck, winning their division and guaranteeing themselves a #3 seed in the playoffs is looking pretty darn realistic at this point. How can this be? The other teams in their division are Minnesota, Denver, Portland and Seattle. Portland and Seattle both look like lottery teams and show no sign of being otherwise. Denver lost a lot when they lost Nene, and they’ve had a poor start. As for Minnesota, Kevin Garnett looks like he’s really missing Flip Saunders. Utah is 4-2 without Carlos Boozer, their leading scorer and rebounder from last year. How good will they be once he’s back in the rotation and the Jazz don’t have to rely on 22 minutes a night from Jarron Collins?

I was one of those who was hoping the Jazz would draft Chris Paul at #3, and while Paul is putting up better numbers at the beginning of this season, Williams’ game seems tailor-made for Jerry Sloan’s system. As long as AK47 doesn’t miss half the season again, the Jazz should be just fine.

Other notes on the Jazz season:

- Devin Brown has lost his minutes to walk-on rookie Andre Owens. Owens had 15 points against Toronto Friday night. Brown did not play.

- In the first four wins, Mehmet Okur averaged 27.5 points.

- Okur’s getting the points, but Andrei Kirilenko leads the team in rebounds, assists, blocks and steals per game.

InsideHoops.com is the web's best basketball site. Read daily.