Get to know your 1987 Dallas Mavericks: Part Two

Al Wood, G/F

Drafted with the fourth overall pick of the 1981 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Al Wood came to the Dallas Mavericks through a trade with the Seattle Supersonics.

Wood only played one season for the Mavericks (1987) and contributed mostly as a bench player and averaged 6.6 points and 12.2 minutes per game, serving as a backup to Rolando Blackman.

Wood was selected to compete on the 1980 United States Men’s Basketball team that unfortunately did not compete due to Jimmy Carter’s decision to boycott the Olympics in Moscow.

Look forward for more “Get to know your 1987 Dallas Mavericks!”

Recap:

1. Roy Tarpley, F
2. Al Wood, G/F
3. Brad Davis, G

Ron-Ron Does L.A.

Okay Los Angeles, first it was David Beckham, then Manny Ramirez, and now you’ve invited none other than NBA Fight Night King Ron Artest to join the traffic congestion on I-405. The Lakers have signed Ron Artest to a five year deal where Artest will play small-forward and wear number 37, in honor of Michael Jackson.  Everybody who is anybody in sports knows Ron Artest for his role in the infamous Pacers-Pistons basketbrawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills in 2004, but that is neither here nor there.

Eastward Bound

There has been something bothering me for a couple of seasons at this point, and it could have something to do with my desire to see things balanced. Now, through a few important facts pointed out to me by none other than the Champ, the Conferences are even, but not in our hearts. There is a giant hole missing in the Northwest corner of the NBA map, and that is the former home of the Seattle Supersonics. How this can happen easily is to move Memphis, but since this post was already posted, I will just strategically edit this to make my point fit.

Seven Seconds or Less

The mantra of “Seven Seconds or Less” truly manifested itself in 2004 when the Phoenix Suns acquired pout guard Steve Nash from the Dallas Mavericks. That season, after the team was bought by a San Diego investment group during the offseason, marked the Suns return to the NBA’s elite. Not since the Charles Barkley era had the Suns won 62 games in the regular season. Clearly freewheeling Italian head coach Mike D’Antoni was on to something in Phoenix. He finally had the players to achieve his dreams of running one of the most sophisticated offensive systems in NBA history; for that, D’Antoni was named coach of the year in 2004.

So what do hoops aficionados mean when they cry “seven seconds or less?”

Get to know your 1987 Dallas Mavericks: Part One

Roy Tarpley, F

Selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the seventh pick of the 1986 NBA Draft, Tarpley became a key factor off the bench to help All-Stars Mark Aguirre and James Donaldson.

In 1987, Tarpley won the NBA’s Sixth Man award.

However things took a downward turn for Tarpley when he was struck with a drug addiction that resulted in his ban from the league.

Tarpley, 44 at the time, settled a federal lawsuit against the NBA and the Dallas Mavericks in which he claimed the league and the team violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to reinstate him after a ban for drug use.  The lawsuit was settled on Jan. 22, 2009 according to a filing signed by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt.

Look forward to more “Get to know your 1987 Dallas Mavericks.”

Recap:

1. Roy Tarpley, F
2. Al Wood, G/F
3. Brad Davis, G

Shooting Star

Daniel Gibson is a case study of a quick rise to fame in the NBA. Hardly anybody knew or cared about Daniel Gibson before game 6 on the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. After the game, he was praised and heralded as the future point guard of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the perfect player to complement LeBron’s style, waiting beyond the 3-point line to hit the killing three. What unfolded didn’t exactly live up to the illustrious expectations that were bestowed upon him.

Shaqtastic New Words, 2009

Every year, the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition has some new words added to it, based on if words meet criteria for inclusion. Shaq played against Jimmy Kimmel last night in Scrabble on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Shaq made the case for the following new words:

August and Everything After

Trying to correctly guess what team is going to sign Allen Iverson is less accurate than a shot in the dark. Allen Iverson has recently tweeted about possible suitors and landing destinations, hinting that a possible deal is in the works. The teams reported to be interested in the future Hall-of-Fame guard have included the Heat, Bobcats, Knicks, Grizzlies, and Clippers. Now, the actual interest these teams have in Iverson could be overblown or underplayed, depending on the actual team. The term “fit” will almost never have been so loosely applied as when Iverson eventually inks a deal with any team.

Take On Me

I can’t decide which I like more, Chris Bosh’s personality off of the court or his game on it. Admittedly, I wasn’t what some would describe as a believer of his comic knack until I saw his pitch/commercial to be voted in the All-Star game in the 2007-08 season down in the Bayou. His seamless southern drawl is evidence of his roots while producing perhaps my favorite infomercial of all time, Bosh sporting a Cowboy hat and pleading for viewers to exercise their right to vote creating laughter and enjoyment for all. I feel that part of the enjoyment for me was the unexpectedness of the entire concept, mostly because of Bosh’s unassuming nature on the court.

Become a Fan of Paints in the Point!

If all of our changes for Paints in the 2 Point 0 wasn’t enough for some of you, we have yet another way for you to keep up with Paints in the Point.

You can become a fan of Paints in the Point on Facebook! In the future we plan on giving early access to articles to people who are our fans on Facebook. Be one of the cool people in your social circle by clicking the “Become a Fan” link on our Facebook Fan page, which can be found here.

After you have become a fan on our Facebook group, you can post photos, start discussions, write reviews, and easily tell your friends about Paints in the Point.

More great stuff is in the works for “Paints in the Point,” so stay tuned!

Friends Call Him The Shaq

As reported on his Twitter on Thursday, Shaq visited Knott’s Berry Farm:

im at knots berry farms n my butts 2 big 2 fit in da seats on ride. ahhhhhh (dats me yellin)

In a “Paints in the Point” exclusive, we have some photos from Shaq’s visit, as coincidentally, our West Coast Correspondent (The Freelancer) happened to be at Knott’s Berry Farm the same day he was.

Paints in the 2 Point 0

In case you didn’t notice, we have a new URL for “Paints in the Point.” We are now http://paintsinthepoint.com!

Please update your bookmarks accordingly (this is of course, assuming that you have made bookmarks to our site, but if you haven’t, take a break from reading to do so now!) and revel in the new features of “Paints 2.0:”

Live Blogging the 2009 LeBron James Bike-A-Thon

I Wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller.

Today we were bloggers and ballers.

Attending the LeBron James King for Kids Bikeathon in Akron was our first official outing as a contingent of bloggers. Covering the spectacle were The Champ, The Custodian, and The Franchise. Many moons ago, The Franchise suggested that the group attend the King’s event to publicize The Blog. Today we went big-time, all out for Paints in the Point.

A Whole New Perspective

Since its inception, the Charlotte Bobcats have been a dismal team, chock-a-block with mediocre draft selections/trades/free agent pickups. But, undeterred and full of hope, the Bobcats have made a change. It isn’t the impending sale of the franchise, or replacing Hall-of-Fame coach Larry Brown, or another trade. They are revamping their jerseys to a brand new, yet eerily familiar look that management hopes not only to increase revenue, but also to increase the win total.

The Chronicles of Redick

JJ Redick is not a significant player on the court, nor is he a revolutionary off of it. His meaning to the Association is still mysterious, a rare white American professional basketball player, not one of those invading multi-talented Euros who have populated the NBA. He is everything scouts assumed he was going to be; yet his career is still disappointing.