Back when Bruce Bowen retired, Timothy Varner of the Spurs Blog 48 Minutes of Hell sent me a message:

"With Bowen retiring, does that make Chris Paul the dirtiest player in the league?  Discuss."

My first response was "yes", but after a few moments of reflection, I'm not sure I'd go that far.  Yes, Paul can get after people - as we've seen many times.  However, I still feel there's a qualifier to Paul's aggressiveness that keeps him from being simply 'dirty':  he only gets nasty with people who get really physical with him. Then, of course, Paul's elbows fly.  Forearms end up in places they shouldn't, and people scream bloody murder.  But hey, those guys deserved it, right?

So no, I wouldn't call Paul the dirtiest player out there.  He's a qualified dirty.  Maybe we should call him smudged?  Muddy?  Somewhat Unclean? 

I did have to admit one thing to Tim Varner, however: Once Ginobili retires, I'm not going to have any defense when he asks me if Paul is now the biggest flopper in the league.  I don't think I've ever seen a player perform so many somersaults after driving to the basket.  He must be wanting to become an actor - as detailed in this fake interview I did with him last season.  Remember that?  That was awesome.

I also wanted to call attention to this quote in today's AP article from Brian Mahoney about Paul:

"No, no," Paul said Monday. "I don't worry about replacement referees. End of the day, you're reffing the game."

I'm sorry, this just tickles my funny bone.  Paul works the refs like a speed bag.  There isn't a break in the action where the cameras don't spot him talking to the refs, or standing with Byron . . . and talking to the refs.  Hell, just a few nights ago I watched one of last year's Mavs-Hornets games and Paul was barking at one of the refs to call a "T" on Jason Terry for hanging on the rim, and Paul got his "T".  Unfortunately, it was Paul who was assessed the foul, but hey, he was trying.

Now, yes, I understand Paul probably means that it's the players actions on the court that determine what the refs can or can't call, but you still have to wonder if the way he works the refs impacts the game at all.  Maybe that's a question Niall can hit Paul or Byron with during the Hornet's Media Day . . . or maybe he can ask Fluffy if shouting "And 1" has ever gotten him a free throw.