Here’s a quick homework assignment: Name the 10 best players in the Western Conference, just off the top of your head.

It shouldn’t take you long. And I’m sure all the usual names are there – Duncan, Garnett, Kobe, Dirk, Nash, Marion, T-Mac, and Yao. Oh, and of course, Andrei.

Andrei Kirilenko, that is, the multitalented forward who has transformed the fortunes of the Utah Jazz this season.

Most causal observes don’t consider Kirilenko a star because he doesn’t dominate the ball or post a gaudy scoring average. This year he averages only 14.2 points per game, which hardly seems like the beginning of an All-Star resume. Yet Kirilenko is one of the best players in basketball because of his ability to dominate the game without scoring.

This past week, Kirilenko showecased his skill yet again. AK-47, as he’s known thanks to his unfortunate choice of uniform number, posted a career “5×5” in a win over the Lakers – compiling five or more points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals in the same game. In the past decade, only two other players have pulled that feat off. Kirilenko has done it five times – he and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only players in history to do it more than once.

In particular, Kirilenko is able to make his impact felt at the defensive end. With his Inspector Gadget-like arms seemingly extending to twice a normal person’s reach, he ranks second in the league in blocked shots at 3.2 per game, barely trailing Philadelphia’s Sam Dalembert. (And unlike Dalembert, Kirilenko rarely goaltends). Listed at 6-foot-9,225 pounds, Kirilenko is almost impossible for opposing small forwards to shoot directly over, but his particular specialty is sneaking up on unsuspecting big men. While they’re looking up at the basket thinking they have a lay-up, Kirilenko swoops in from behind, reaches out with his tentacles, and taps the ball off the backboard – keeping it in play for a teammate, a la Bill Russell.

Those spaghetti limbs also help on the perimeter, where his average of 1.6 steals per game ranks in the league’s top 20. And although his gaunt frame gets abused under the boards, Kirilenko’s arms make up for it and have helped him average eight rebounds per contest.

To really see Kirilenko’s impact, however, you need to look at how the Jazz fare when he’s out of the lineup. Unfortunately, that’s been a frequent occurrence during the past 18 months. Kirilenko missed 41 games last season with a knee injury and has already missed another 10 this season. The results haven’t been pretty. Despite having a competent backup in Matt Harpring, the Jazz fell apart defensively without AK-47.

A year ago, when Kirilenko wasn’t on the court, the Jazz allowed 8.3 more points per 48 minutes than they did when he played. Added to a team with little surrounding defensive talent, Kirilenko’s shot-blocking and ball-pilfering skills were enough to at least make them average. This year, despite a more talented surrounding roster, the difference is nearly as great – Utah is 7.6 points per 48 minutes better defensively with Andrei on the court.

Not surprisingly, his absence also has a huge effect on Utah’s record. The Jazz are 2-8 this year when he doesn’t play, but 15-8 when he does. And although it’s not apparent at first, defense isn’t his only specialty. Kirilenko doesn’t get much credit for his offensive skills because he’s more of a complimentary player. Also, he doesn’t have great numbers this year because he struggled to work his way back from a knee injury at the start of the season.

But don’t let that fool you. Kirilenko passes unusually well for a forward – one reason he can get those 5x5s – and gets to the foul line often because he’s constantly cutting to the basket. As a result, he’s been an extremely efficient performer his entire career.

But let’s look at the past few weeks. In eight games since Christmas, Kirilenklo is averaging 18.3 points per game and shooting 50% from the floor. In particular, he seems to have discovered the wonders of putting arc on his jump shot. Twice in Monday’s win over Washington, he came off a screen and lofted a 15-footer toward the rafters that dropped through the net. Two years ago, that same shot would have sent fans behind the basket ducking for cover.

With Kirilenko leading the way, the Jazz have won seven of their last eight games – including an impressive road win in Detroit to complete a season sweep of the Pistons – to take over first place in the Northwest Division.

Thus, while Kirilenko’s skills are easy to overlook, they add up to a winning combination and are in great demand around the league. Most great players tend to score first and do other things second. As a result, adding too many “brand name” players can cause chemistry and cohesion problems – witness the Heat’s troubles integrating Antoine Walker into a system that already had two players taking a lot of shots.

Kirilenko, on the other hand, fits in almost system because he’s in that rare class of player (along with Jason Kidd and Ben Wallace) that can take over a game without hogging the ball. If Utah brought in a high-scoring, possession using player tomorrow, it would barely affect his game at all.

As it turns out, that last statement isn’t just idle chatter. The Jazz have made their recent run without the services of high-scoring forward Carlos Boozer, who has missed the entire season. But the injury-riddled post specialist should be ready to return by the end of the month. If so, Utah’s anemic offense (the Jazz rank 29th in Offensive Efficiency and lead the league in shot-clock violations) would get the shot in the arm it needs to keep pace with the Nuggets and T’- wolves atop the division.

In the meantime, Kirilenko’s remarkable play is keeping the Utah’s head above water. Believe it or not, in each of the past two seasons he’s ranked in the top 10 in the league in my Player Efficiency Rating (PER, which measures a player’s per-minute statistical production). Based on his play of late, I fully expect him to be there again by the end of this season. He doesn’t get the credit he’s due because he plays in the Rocky Horror Time Zone and has such an unconventional game, but Andrei Kirilenko is a legitimate superstar. It’s about time the rest of the world recognized it.

Mr. Hollinger is the author of the 2005-06 Pro Basketball Forecast. He can be reached at jhollinger@nysun.com.