Sso who are those two guys cast in bronze out on the plaza, anyway, Socrates and Plato?

Oh, right. It's the men from the old Stockton-to-Malone days. Those were good years for the Jazz. But what's that the psychologists say about living in the now?

Hello, New Jazz, who are in the Western Conference for the first time in nearly a decade.

While it's true John Stockton and Karl Malone led the Jazz to the playoffs for 18 straight seasons — and will remain forever the standard — it's also true that, at last, the new Jazz have an identity. No longer is it just a random team thrown together after the gold rush. They don't answer to "Hey, Kid!" anymore.

Now the Jazz are Western Conference finalists, following Tuesday's 100-87 win over Golden State. That wrapped up the series, 4-1.

The 2007 Jazz must feel like Cal Ripken Jr. or Harry Connick Jr. The previous generation is great, but at some point you have to make your own name. Over time, maybe people might even stop calling you "Junior."

So here they are, the New Jazz. Nobody is wearing short-shorts anymore. Nobody is talking about going hunting in the off-season, either. The only similarity is the coach, the wild crowd, and the fact the team still has a high scoring power forward and a great-passing point guard.

It's enough to make you do a double-take.

Last time the Jazz made the Western Conference Finals was in 1998. Has it really been that long? Nine years. The world was a different place. You could still show up 15 minutes before a flight. Cell phones were a status symbol. Now look. The league's MVP is a seven-foot German who does his shooting from the outside.

Winning this semifinal round means that the Jazz have changed for good. As long as the statues of Stockton and Malone remain outside EnergySolutions Arena, it will be their franchise. But this is not their team. And though it is a team that still has much to prove, one thing is clear: It is younger and vastly more adaptable than its predecessor. This is not your father's Jazz. (OK, maybe it's that, too. If teams can adapt, so can fans.)

Is it the equal to the old Jazz?

Check back in 18 years.

It has been a struggle for the Jazz, though. Stuff happens. A 26-win season, for instance. Criticism over draft picks, and more injury woes than they ever had in the Stockton-Malone era. The rebuilding started with a lanky forward with spiked hair, moved on to an enigmatic power forward and began to blend with an easygoing seven-foot guy who likes to shoot outside and a young point guard with maturity beyond his years.

But until this year, nobody knew if it would ever work.