Point Guard; "point" itself?

[Laurence Horn]

>
>Anyway. There have been some interesting comments on the
>use of _point guard_ in this thread but I wonder if anyone
>could comment on one of the original questions, which is
>the use of _point_ itself? Anything to say about the meaning,
>or any early cites for the lone _point_?
>
I'm assuming, without evidence, that this was a positional reference
to an area of the court behind and to the side of the free throw
line, where the point guard (not yet so called) positioned himself by
default to begin the passing process that eventuated in getting his
team a good shot.  This would have pre-dated the 24 second clock in
the NBA and the corresponding time limit later adopted in college, so
that set offenses would have been more frequent and positions on the
court more stable.  Why that particular area would have been called
the point I have no idea.  Is there an analogy with hockey, a game
about which I know very little?  Any Canadians out there?

larry