Considering Jeff Hornacek is in his seventh season as the third spoke to the wheel, you have to consider they are three of the oldest starters in the NBA, and have 45 years of experience between them.

By July, Stockton will be 38, with Hornacek and Malone both 37.

"We are old," Stockton said. "We can't get around that fact. The numbers tell the truth, but I don't think we're playing old. As long as we do what we're supposed to do, we can still win the same way we always have."

Of course they are predictable. They run several variations of the pick and roll:

• Malone will spring out for a jumper or post up.
• Hornacek will run off back picks high-post picks for jumpers.
• Stockton will thread the needle with all the passes necessary, including cross-court to the weak side.

"We are obviously older, but that also means we play smarter ... most of the time," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said.

In case you haven't noticed, the Jazz have passed the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs for first place in the Midwest Division and consequently went from seventh to third in the weekly CBS SportsLine Power Rankings.

At 37, Karl Malone can still deliver despite his back problems this season.(AP)

Because of their age, there is little hope the Jazz can sustain an elite level of play through the playoffs.

Hornacek, who despite the prodding of his teammates, contends he will retire after this season because he is virtually playing on one leg. Stockton tires more easily than he used to, and Malone has had back problems on and off this season.

The Jazz brought in Olden Polynice to add some defensive toughness at center, but he is at the heart of most Jazz turnovers. Greg Ostertag isn't any better than he was, while Bryon Russell and Howard Eisley appear to have peaked in their performance. Quincy Lewis was a steal as the 19th pick of the draft, but he will take time to develop.

Still, that combination might be enough to wrest the second seed in the West from the Spurs, who have had all kinds of problems lately.

Last season, it was the status of David Robinson's back that was crucial. This season, add Robinson's back to Sean Elliott attempting to make a comeback from kidney transplant surgery and Tim Duncan battling an abdominal strain.

But if injuries and age were the only problem for the Spurs, they would be fine. Internal problems over a proposed trade of Avery Johnson to Charlotte for David Wesley have turned the high-strung Johnson inside out.

He also had been getting benched occasionally late in games in favor of Terry Porter; it reportedly set off a fight in the locker room with Malik Rose, who accused Johnson of being selfish.

Consequently, they are a rather ordinary 10-7 since their last three-game winning streak ended Jan. 27, including 4-4 over the past eight games.

Meanwhile, peering at all this aging and discord are the young Minnesota Timberwolves, just 3 1/2 games behind the Jazz in third place.

Kevin Garnett is seemingly more dominant on both ends of the floor in every game, with rookie Wally Szczerbiak beginning to play better and Dean Garrett finally beginning to play better at center.

But the key to the playoffs for the Wolves remains the uneven play of former All-Star point guard Terrell Brandon. Should Brandon play consistently at an 18-point, 8-assist level over the next six weeks and into the playoffs, they can create problems for a lot of teams.

The Denver Nuggets have essentially blown their chance to compete for the playoffs, sporting a horrific 6-20 road record and inconsistent play at home, too.

The Dallas Mavericks have some talent, but lack the chemistry or leadership to be consistent, while the Houston Rockets are rebuilding and the Vancouver Grizzlies have improved but are still too young to be taken seriously.

That leaves the old guys at the top of the charts, and that isn't exactly uncommon.

Dating back to the 1988-89 season, the Jazz have five Midwest Division titles and have finished second four times and have been in the playoffs every year dating back to the 1983-84 season.

Only the Portland Trail Blazers (beginning in 1982-83) have a longer active playoff run.

"People keep saying we're too old," Sloan said. "I hope they keep saying that and don't take us seriously. We need all the help we can get."

Sure they do, and if you believe that ...