We haven’t published any new posts in quite some time now. You probably know what this means.

Effective today, Paints in the Point articles will no longer be hosted at the “paintsinthepoint.com” domain name. Our domain registration has lapsed, and we have no intention of renewing the registration, considering the lack of new content over the past year. Previous articles will remain intact, but their URL will be hosted via the “paintsinthepoint.wordpress.com” domain name.

Podcast hosting will cease on September 21, 2011. If you’d like to save any of the podcasts for your own records, please download them before that date.

We’d like to thank all of our readers and listeners for your support over the past 27 months, and we hope you continue to enjoy our content in the months and years to come. If you have any comments regarding the site, please leave a comment on this post, and we’ll make every effort to respond. Also, if you have the time, please take a moment to share your favorite Paints in the Point moment in the comments section.

While we don’t currently have any plans to post regularly (or even at all) on Paints in the Point in the future, we will use this website to announce other ventures, should any such opportunity arise.

Thanks to all of my Paints in the Point brethren: The Champ, The Custodian, The Enforcer, The Franchise, The Ivy Leaguer, and The Octagon.

One final note: I want to make it clear that it was The Ivy Leaguer’s idea to see the official Paints in the Point thong. And no, no one ever bought it (but you could be the first!).

It’s been real.

Sincerely,

The Freelancer (on behalf of the rest of the Paints Dudes)

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.09

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.08

Mr. James has been studying all summer to prepare for the new NBA season, but has anything really changed?

In preparation for the start of the NBA season tonight, why not read some of our season previews from last year?

Nothing much has changed, right? Right?

Even if there have been things that have changed over the summer, most of the information is still good– I’m not changing anything in my Clippers or Lakers preview (or for the Lakers, maybe I’ll just add this on). 2009-2010 NBA Season Previews (in reverse order of their 2009-2010 finish):

1. New Jersey Nets
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Sacramento Kings
4. Golden State Warriors
5. Washington Wizards
6. Philadelphia 76ers
7. Detroit Pistons
8. Los Angeles Clippers
9. New York Knicks
10. Indiana Pacers
11. New Orleans Hornets
12. Toronto Raptors
13. Memphis Grizzlies
14. Chicago Bulls
15. Houston Rockets
16. Charlotte Bobcats
17. Milwaukee Bucks
18. Miami Heat
19. Oklahoma City Thunder
20. San Antonio Spurs
21. Portland Trail Blazers
22. Boston Celtics
23. Utah Jazz
24. Denver Nuggets
25. Atlanta Hawks
26. Phoenix Suns
27. Dallas Mavericks
28. Los Angeles Lakers
29. Orlando Magic
30. Cleveland Cavaliers

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.07

In an echoey (and short) edition of the Paints in the Point Podcast, The Champ, The Custodian, and The Franchise discuss the depth of the Lakers, Ben Folds’ new album, and The Freelancer guest stars in Wildcard Time.

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.06

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.05

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.04

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.03

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.02

Paints in the Point Podcast 02.01

The Celtics have an obvious offseason strategy. Their problems last year were their age and their lack of athleticism. So, what do they do? They release Tony Allen (for the record, young and athletic and could defend LeBron/Wade). Then, they pick up Jermaine O’Neal (who lost his youth and athleticism long ago) to replace Kendrick Perkins. Now they have reportedly picked up Shaq (see: Jermaine O’Neal parentheses).

So to recap, they had a problem with their old age and not being able to respond to athletic teams, and in this offseason they got older and less athletic (all due respect to Von Wafer, although I think that goes without saying).

If you had pets, do you remember your parents detailing the virtues of taking your aging, and often failing, pets to the farm? This mysterious farm that had acres and acres of open fields filled with mice that your cats could play with or tennis balls your dogs could catch. You thought, “I don’t want to give up my beloved friend, but if (s)he is going to be happier, then who am I to stop this?” You let them go, comforted by the fact that your pet would be better off.

However, your pet died. They put your pet to death. You didn’t know it then, you may have not discovered it for a few years, but eventually, you found out your parents lied to you in order to not have you feel absolutely terrible about the finality of life. That, in a nutshell, is sort of how I feel about Delonte West’s trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Champ kept asking if I was happy that Brother Red and Michael Beasley were finally to be teamed together, forming a black hole in the northern part of the United States. I guess, in this case, Michael Beasley is the farm. Sure, that is nice, but I have no illusions that Delonte will simply just be cut from Minnesota. That is why teams would be interested in him, because he is a nice and neat salary dump.

That doesn’t take away from the present, I wouldn’t say sadness, but uncomfortable feeling that something is missing. Delonte has been so great to experience. Not just watch, but truly experience. His in-game tactics were fun, if not rare. However, it was his off-the-court antics that were enthralling. He was the class-clown of the locker room. He was the guy that provided the laughter. He was also the guy who may have destroyed the Cavaliers’ season (not just his gun charge, but his alleged affair with LeBron’s mom).

Seriously, how many guys can ride a motorcycle with a guitar case loaded with assault weapons strapped across his back, and it still is the second most shocking gun charge in the league? This guy will play with a sock, if need be.

I know I will miss Delonte, even if he does play with another team this year. It wont be the same. You can’t replace a beloved pet. And you certainly can’t replace a Delonte West.

Chris Paul wants out of New Orleans. I don’t know whether to be happy that there is an NBA story not circling around the Miami franchise or to be sad that CP3 wants away from New Orleans.

Chris Paul has been the New Orleans franchise since they moved back after their brief stint in OKC during his rookie season. He has played great, worthy of that best point guard in the game honor he earned before Deron Williams showed people he can also ball a little bit. He was nearly MVP a couple of seasons ago (do that Deron) and led the Hornets, coached by Byron Scott, to a playoff level they had no right to be at.

Now, he feels he can’t do it. Approached by his own realization of mortality given the weakened state of his knee, he knows he needs to win as soon as possible. This Miami deal, although not directly involved, is directly involved. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh (along with Sir Riley) have started an arms race. Now, contenders are going to stockpile as many “superstars” (really? Amar’e and Bosh are on that level?) in order to compete.

Paul now knows that he can’t expect a championship level team in New Orleans, and certainly not in the next couple of seasons. Why waste his prime years bumbling around in the Big Easy when there will ultimately be no payoff. This isn’t LeBron wanting out of Cleveland, who were legitimate title contenders. This is a superstar, legitimately one, trying to get the most wins he can while he can. With that knee, Paul may not have as many seasons left as we all presumed just last season.

(Seriously, how is this not an arms race? Does that make Pat Riley the USA, or USSR?)

Anyway, I can’t blame CP3 for this action. He, no doubt, would prefer to win in NO. However, it’s not likely when David West is the only other viable player (other than Collison) who you can count on when it counts.

Ok, so now what? He wants to go to either Orlando, New York, or LA (which is now being doubted, instead he is thinking Dallas or Portland according to Chris Broussard).

Orlando would be straight fun, since Dwight Howard is like Tyson Chandler if Chandler was a god. I don’t know what that trade would include, but I don’t know how Jameer Nelson fits in. I would assume he has to leave, since he can’t play the 2 at his size and he can’t play the backup at this point. He is too talented to sit the bench, but that doesn’t solve the Hornets’ problem of having two point guards.

LA has an obvious attraction, and by attraction I mean Kobe, Pau, and an almost guaranteed championship if Paul comes. LA would probably have to give up Bynum, who has worse knee issues than Paul does, along with some other quality pieces. I don’t know, especially when the truth behind this request is somewhat in doubt.

New York has Amar’e and D’Antoni, and apostrophes aside, that isn’t all that much. The missing piece is clearly Carmelo, who still has a lot in Denver right now (though that window may be closing). If Carmelo comes than this sparks an obvious and epic rivalry with Miami. This would be the ultimate in terms of the arms race, two teams with great players slugging it out.

The Dallas and Portland scenarios are interesting. Dallas could have really used solid point guard play against San Antonio last playoffs and Paul would love to pass to Dirk whenever he feels like it. Portland has Brandon Roy, which is good and bad. Roy didn’t like Andre Miller coming to Portland, and Miller prefers passing to shooting. Sure, Paul also distributes like a man possessed, but he has the ball infinitely more than Miller does.

See, this may well be the true legacy of the Miami trio. It goes well beyond Toronto, Cleveland, and Miami. Beyond who they suit up against on any particular night. This affects every team in the league. Now teams like New Orleans, who might have had a shot otherwise, given the right amount of luck and intelligent roster moves, are completely out of contention. Players like Chris Paul, who by all rights is a top 8 player, doesn’t feel like he has a realistic chance to compete on the highest level possible without another couple of stars around him.

All that being said, nothing is for sure. This is just a report from Paul’s inner circle. He may have a change of heart in the next couple of weeks. Or not. Maybe he does go through with this demand and makes one of these teams much better.

Is LeBron James the man? It seems a silly question that has no actual consequences. No, he is not the man in the same way Michael Jordan was. He is not Michael Jordan. He was never Michael Jordan. He will never be Michael Jordan. So what? How many people are (besides Kobe)?

Michael Jordan was unique. He was old-school, although at the time he was just one of many in mindset. He was a man in the same way Don Draper was a man; unquestionably flawed, but obviously talented.

LeBron James isn’t that. He is from another era, one which favors cooperation instead of solo endeavors. Why is this surprising in the rebirth of “it takes a village” mentality? He was always the man who was willing to defer, perhaps preferring to defer, even on his AAU and high school squads.

He is a new man. He is the same type of man who wears a pink shirt proudly displaying the message that “real men wear pink”. He is a man concerned with both marketability and happiness, not that those two cannot coincide given proper mixture. LeBron clearly isn’t afraid of criticism, although how much he expected cannot be close to the real amount. He isn’t afraid to play second fiddle. He isn’t afraid to change scenery (even if it is into a $50 million home).

Sometimes, men can be defined as much by their eagerness to go it alone as they can by realizing the bigger man doesn’t always need to take charge. Isn’t it the case that many claim that the bigger man should walk away instead of inviting confrontation? This sounds too much like an excuse, which it isn’t. But the notion of the man as we used to know it, the definition we long for now, may well be dying. Kobe seems like the last of his kind at this point, unless Kevin Durant is more determined to be selfish than all signs point to.

Even J0rdan suggested that in these new times, maybe the mindset of men should evolve. Not that he would agree with it, or Magic or Larry. Or Charles, who went it alone and came out okay, but not as well as he could have. Even he went to Houston to try to capture championship glory alongside Hakeem late in his career.

Maybe it was the timing of it all. I suppose we prefer the greats to waste their youth and greatness chasing wasn’t isn’t guaranteed by themselves. Had LeBron waited another four or five years, the reaction would not have been as explosive, I would presume. What is easy to forget is that not all great players win championships solely because of their greatness. Usually they have another great beside them.

I can’t reasonably argue that LeBron should have stayed if that isn’t what he wanted to do, and now that Miami is filling out the roster with players that certainly aren’t “scrubs”, it seems a fairly good choice. Maybe he didn’t want the responsibility of leading a team that depended solely on his good fortune for victories and championship opportunities. Maybe he was afraid of the consequences if he failed on a loaded Chicago team or failed to bring New York back to meaningful life. Maybe, or maybe he felt like experiencing the most pressure he could have, now that he joined up with his good friends and great basketball players in South Beach, and trying to give all the haters something to boo at.

I don’t sympathize with the mentality that just because you are great, you have to try to win by yourself. If you can pull it off, which is what Michael and Kobe did (I understand that they were far from by themselves, but it wasn’t a stacked team like Magic or Bird had, although Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman are routinely underrated), the sky is the limit. But if you don’t, you will never be what you could have otherwise. From Dan Marino to Charles Barkley, those players are never respected for the talents that they were just because they don’t have rings to go along with the other hardware they earned.

Sure, LeBron could have stayed, like MJ and Draper did, but temptation was too great to resist. LeBron may be defining the man for the next couple of decades the same way MJ, Magic, and Larry did and Russell before them. This new man is concerned less with statistics and more with victories. MVP’s and scoring titles play second fiddle to postseason glory.