There is exist very big issues in current game design with point distribution:
1. Health: there is have sense put points only when you have big bonuses to +% health or so, like Nature mastery offers. Rest masteries generally (assuming general feedback over years) should be treated as can be used sometimes or eventually, but usually you put zero points into health. There is because eventually in game you will get very massive flat bonuses from items, as well you will get bonuses from quests over 3 difficulties (over 700 or so over 3 difficulties). Another sub-issue, what STR/DEX/INT are progressively scaled (is multiplier to damage), but health is flat pathetic drop. So, investment is very unlike.
2. Mana: there is full of joke. You have endless potions. Even if you has no - most masteries boost enough mana/int to get to comfortable values, except few masteries.
3. Another factor, what STR/INT/DEX offer another layer of multiplicative bonus AFTER +% damage bonuses from items. This means what having +100% to physical damage and 500 STR (equal to +100% damage), actually give much more. If you have +100% damage from items, this results in x2 * x2 => 400%. This means what investments into single primary attribute is also favored. (And yes, there is suck design, you actually loose variety, however TQ is not so strict in this sense, allowing some degree of non-optimal distributions.)
4. There is not so many points to allocate to wear top-tier items without issues if you not get proper focus on them.
5. Almost everything requires DEX - so you always should meet some minimal requirement. At same time, equipment which lower requirements starts to drop very early, and there is thing which is completely not needed (again only early), because nature of % works better on big numbers, and not work on small numbers. So, simply, picking this kind of mediocre items most of times just limit you, because without this item you will not be able wear other items, and because early game switching gear is often - there is big limiting factor, except if you got this things from skills or jewelry. There is one of big stupid flaws in TQ item-requirements early game design - you see massive gaps in requirement, you simple should be focused without knowing in what you should be focused. In comparison with GD - at level 10-20 you be able wear ANY item without investments into stats, you just receive enough from masteries, no matter of which. One of easily visible gaps - is shields. 1/2/3 level shields is wearable very early, but next shield has gap in something like 20-30 points in strength. This specific choice has no any sense, taking into account what they str-only items and as result require one if highest absolute str value.
There is enough options, to see, what semi-equal attribute splits just not work. All, ALL guides say you save points, because game easy enough to go full of Act 1 without investments at all (and at this levels you should get mainly from masteries), while which attributes you will need - there is unknown. There is no guaranteed loot, so you always should keep some points to overallocate from "ideal" distribution to wear right item right now, rather than equip it 10 levels later when it will no have sense.
So, there is just no right distribution for beginners, it all depends on items which player might get or might not get. There is only exist few masteries and their combinations which allow you don't think about too much (including skills which lessens requirements).
One of (in my visions) issue with beginners, what if you pick item with flat 10 str bonus - your average damage will not change at all in early game. And there is true, because early game this bonus are pathetic and doesn't cost of prefix/affix slot. Even if you stack them over all items (by gaining +80 STR) - you will gain so pathetic gain which will not give you real effect on fights at all. (Even while game math take into account fractional numbers, so technically you gain benefit.) And as result this add feel what this kind of boosts are useless. Anyway, early game any source of flat damage are way more better alternative than investment into stats, no matter by direct points investments or by using items.
So, surely, any beginner get confused in stats: why it should invest in stats because they offer nothing visible? And there is very falsy game feedback. After some climax point (i guess after level 20 or may be 40) - their net effect will grow at much higher rate, so higher, what this bonuses will overweight any flat bonuses (there is why base weapon damage so low). So - you need stats. You just can't benefit enough from them early.
But all of this has sense only if you speak about specific build, with specific focus. Actually in Act 1 you doesn't need spend any single point and half of Act 2 doesn't require this, unless if you want take bigger weapon. [Again, depending on mastery] Spending points immediately only allow use better items, but game, not so hard at beginning even with some "difficulty" mods. So, in the end all depends on class and what you want to use in the end.
At same time - hero should be able wear anything what he might get on the way, because making specific build for specific items which it never be able take (because even when you farm - you anyway might not get right items).
All of this factors, results only into big confusion. Your topic - there is another confusion about that.