Points in the Paint

» October 23, 2009 4:20 PM | By Brandon Hoffman

Bobcats beat writer Rick Bonnell isn’t surprised by Emeka Okafor’s reluctance to resume play after receiving medical clearance from the Hornets training staff, noting that Okafor has an “odd preoccupation with being perfectly healthy before again stepping on a court.”

I can’t wait to get my hands on Bill Simmons’ “The Book of Basketball.” Here’s another excerpt, detailing how the long-defunct ABA had the inside track on signing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Simmons also posted his NBA preview, featuring the 33 most intriguing people of the 2009-10 season. A favorite entry: “David Stern: If the commish could send an e-mail to Billy Hunter that would self-destruct within 20 seconds of Hunter reading it, I think this is what it would be like: ‘Hey, Billy Hunter? Did you see how I just broke the referees? You’re next. I am old, I am cranky, my league is going broke, and I am not going to be in the mood to mess around with this next CBA. We sent you our revenue reports. We did not doctor them. Our system is broken and needs to change. Your players make more in salaries than we generate in revenue. Don’t tell the press that you and I are going to figure this out together, because I have already figured this out. Our owners are perfectly happy to take a break from losing money for a few months. We already know that your players cannot handle that same break. So basically, I am calling the shots again and I won’t even need to grow a beard. I broke you in 1999, and believe me when I tell you this … I will break you again. Only with more glee this time around. Because, again, I am older and crankier. I’m tired of having these owners bitch at me. I’ve had it. Ask anyone who works for me. Ask any of the networks who deal with me. The DS Crank Rating hasn’t been this high since the Artest Melee. Tread carefully, my friend. You don’t want this. I promise you. You. Don’t. Want. This.’”

Shaun Powell, writing for NBA.com, lists 10 players in need of an image makeover.

Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell was interviewed at some length by TIME. Asked to assess the statistical revolution in baseball, Gladwell passed along this little tidbit about the Raptors: “My take on it is that what you’re looking for is a balance between these two things. I remember once having a conversation with a top executive with the Toronto Raptors. I asked her about the stats revolution in basketball and she just kind of shrugged and said, ‘It’s interesting, and we look at those things, but you have to understand that for our purposes, it’s all [about] character.’ The thing that separates players is that some have a work ethic, some don’t; some are coachable, some aren’t; some party all night, some go to bed early. From her standpoint, it’s all those intangibles.” (Via Wages of Wins)

Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski has a new column with some behind-the-scenes stuff regarding Boston’s chemistry issues last season, and news that Danny Ainge put Rajon Rondo on the trading block this past summer to motivate him for the coming season.

The Biz of Basketball: “NBA TV will reach 45 million homes this season, following Thursday’s announcement of new multiyear agreements with Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems Corporation, and DISH Network L.L.C., which will supplement recent affiliate deals with Comcast, Cox, DIRECTV, and Verizon.”

And then there’s a highly-anticipated feature story on Kobe Bryant by Kevin Ding. It’s very good. Read the whole thing, but here’s the conclusion: “Kobe Bryant is a thankful, fortunate, happy, pleased and unsatisfied 31-year-old man who does not want to be like everyone. He would love for everyone to understand him – and understand why he is going to keep playing and producing and winning much longer than seems imaginable. Yes, he really did just drop a reference to John Stockton, who didn’t retire until age 41. ‘It’s fascinating to me,’ Bryant said. ‘All the years of being here in Los Angeles with the fans and everything, and some think, ‘Aw, he’s getting older and the clock’s ticking and blah-blah-blah-blah.’ I’ve been playing for all these years, and you guys still don’t know what I’m about.’ He leaned forward and clapped his hands for emphasis as he spoke. He also laughed before continuing. ‘It’s fascinating to me. Understand that you have a player here who is going to do – by any means necessary – whatever it takes to help us get back to that level. No matter what.’ There have been enough misunderstood artists over the course of history, toiling away for self-fulfillment and not connecting with those around them. Bryant’s museum is now open to the public.”