Says Williams: "It was a great experience, coming out of college and being able to have a Hall of Famer, the all-time leading assist man in the NBA, give me some pointers and some insights on what he did in (Jerry Sloan's) offense to be so successful. The cuts he'd make, the way he'd set people up. He helped me understand it."

And Boozer: "Karl and I have a great relationship. I can't put a value on it. He gives me advice. He says, 'Don't worry about trying to fill my shoes. Just make your own mark.' " But Stockton and Malone, though their shadows are long, are not mentors for Williams and Boozer; they mostly have kept their distance from the Jazz since leaving the team.

Indirectly, that has helped both young players move unabatedly into starring roles.

Boozer, who averaged 21.1 points and 10.4 rebounds during the regular season, has become a fixture on the Western Conference's crowded All-Star roster, and Williams finished third in the league in assists (10.5). It also has helped the mainstay Sloan move forward in the latter stages of his career. "It's like Jerry is reborn because of Carlos and Deron," says a team insider. "And I think Jerry needed it. No one can keep plugging and plugging without any hope of winning a championship."

Hornets point guard Paul has made an unmistakable move into the superstar realm, but Williams — whom the Jazz selected one pick ahead of Paul in the 2005 draft — has been only a step behind, if that. "My opinion is he's been the best guard in the league since the All-Star break," says Boozer. "And he's only in his third year. We have a hell of a tandem coming up in the next few years."

Boozer — who caught grief for leaving LeBron James' side as a free agent in 2004 — has established himself as perhaps the most old-school, Malone-like power forward in the game. "He's an automatic double double," says Williams. "How can you not love a guy like that? He has great hands and great footwork for a big man and is one of the best-shooting big men from midrange. He can score from anywhere, put it on the floor. He can do everything."

But can the Jazz beat the Lakers? Can they win it all? It'll require more than a two-man show. It'll demand two men getting the very best out of everyone around them.

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