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As we celebrate President’s Day I thought why not put together an All-Presidents basketball team.  We’re not exactly talking about the world’s best athletes here and size wise they would resemble a WNBA team more so than any NBA team but their intangibles would no doubt play a big factor in their success as a team.  So without further delay here’s my All-Presidents team.

Center – You need size in the middle so my choice at the 5 spot would be Abraham Lincoln. At 6’4” he is tied with Lyndon Johnson as the tallest president.  He’s a natural leader who won the Civil War and ended slavery.  I think he would be a great low post scorer and passer. Fundamentally sound. The Tim Duncan of the Oval Office.

Power Forward – By default I have go with Lyndon Johnson as my 4 man since he’s 6’4” and I need the size up front. Forget LeBron James, this is the original LBJ.  After President Kennedy was assassinated Johnson came off the bench to lead the country through some very turbulent times.

Small Forward  - Thomas Jefferson.  The guy was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence so I imagine he could probably draw up a few plays on offense for the team as well. He was responsible for the Louisiana Purchase so defensively he knows how to get steals.  He was also an inventor and spoke five different languages so the guy is creative. He would be able to get his shot off against anyone in the league despite being just 6’2" ½. Think Jerry West but in a ruffled shirt.

Shooting Guard – I need a stone cold scorer here, someone with no conscience, so I gotta go with the man simply known as “Dubya” aka George W. Bush.  This guy never saw a shot he didn’t like.  He went to war against a country that didn’t even attack us so let’s just say the guy is aggressive on offense. My guess is he wouldn’t shoot at a high percentage but don’t let his 5’11" frame fool you, he could go off and drop 50 on you on any given night although it might take him 50 shots to do it. The Allen Iverson of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Point Guard – Barack Obama. It certainly helps that he actually plays the game. A 6’1” lefty with a smooth shooting stroke. His critics say he wants to redistribute the wealth in this country so that means he would probably be a good ball distributer as well. He’s also has that killer instinct on the court as Osama Bin Laden and any random Somali pirate would attest to.

6^th Man – This was tough but in the end I had to go with the six-footer from Massachusetts John F Kennedy.  His handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis slows me that he’s a man that’s cool under pressure. Plus he had an affair with Marilyn Monroe so let’s just say the man knows how to score. 

So back to the real world, it’s all Jeremy Lin all the time. This story will just not die. He suffered his first loss the other night against the New Orleans Hornets but bounced back today as the Knicks beat the Mavs at MSG. Now the big story in Gotham is whether or not Lin and Carmelo Anthony can co-exist. Lin probably saved D’Antoni’s job and the offense is finally starting to look like the one we saw in Phoenix. On the surface Melo would seem to be the odd man out because of his style of play but there’s a place for him on this team but the pressure will be on him to not mess this up. I tell you one thing; if the Knicks lose their first game with Melo back its going to only add fuel to the fire of some people’s opinion that Carmelo is not a team player. Just a few weeks ago this Knicks team was dead in the water. A rudder-less ship adrift and Jeremy Lin has infused this team with a level of confidence and camaraderie that we haven’t seen in quite some time. Guys are playing for each other instead of themselves. Even their defense has improved. If Melo rains on this parade there will be some Knicks fans who will want him shipped out.

JR Smith was added to the mix in New York and suddenly the Knicks are players in the East. I’m not going to book their trip to the Finals just yet but with the emergence of Lin they seem to have all the pieces they need to make a serious run. Smith is a knucklehead but he’s also a very talented swingman who can get you starters type production off the bench. Mike D’Antoni started throwing some minutes to little used Steve Novak recently, a 6’10” sharp shooter and that has paid off too. They’re getting production from more guys now because the ball is moving with Lin in the lineup.

The Jeremy Lin story also has the media stumbling as how best to cover it while being creative and clever at the same time. I just read where ESPN fired an employee and suspended an anchor for using the word “chink” when referring to Jeremy Lin. They ran a headline on their website titled “Chink in the Armor” in reference to the Knicks loss against the Hornets. ESPN news anchor Max Breto used the same phrase while on the air and got a 30 day suspension. This comes on the heels of the MSG Network who last week posted an image of Lin’s head over an opened fortune cookie with the tag line “Knicks good fortune”.  The word “chink” is defined in the dictionary as crack, cleft or fissure. A narrow opening.  Chink has also been used as a derogatory term to describe Asians for as long as anyone can remember.  Because race plays such a big part in the Jeremy Lin story it’s hard to get around it. For the media it’s like navigating through a racial mine field and some people have already been blown up. In both instances I don’t think there was any malicious intent behind the gaffs but it just shows how sensitive the issue of race is.

Jeremy Lin’s influence on the Knicks just underscores the fact that this is a point guard driven league. If you have a good one you’ve got a chance to win in this league. This is why the aborted trade of Chris Paul really hurt the Lakers and may have set them back years. Paul has the Clippers running like a well oiled machine. Forget “Lob City”, they are the new Showtime in LA.

What is going on with the Portland Trailblazers? Remember when they started the season 7-2 and were considered a hot up and coming team?  Since then they are 5-6 and their struggles can be traced directly to their play at the point. Once again, the point guard is the difference between winning and losing. Raymond Felton came into camp out of shape and still has not played his way into shape as of yet. He’s never been a guy who is in peak physical condition but the extended offseason due to the lockout really affects guys like Felton, guys who don’t take care of their bodies.  He’s shooting just 36% from the field overall and a terrible 21% from the 3 point line. Add the fact that he’s not exactly stopping anybody on defense and all of a sudden the Blazers who thought they got themselves a point guard in the offseason are back in the market for one.

Come hell or high water the San Antonio Spurs just keep winning games. They won a thriller against the Clippers on Friday on a late blunder by the Clips which forced the game into OT where they eventually closed the deal.  Now Manu Ginobili is hurt again after just getting back from a broken hand.  Tony Parker has really raised his game and despite near career lows in point and rebounds Tim Duncan can still be a force. He can’t do it for long stretches but against the Clips he had just 11 points but pulled down 17 rebounds.  Ignore the Spurs at your own risk. 

Allen Iverson is broke.  I’m sure you read that and just completely fell off your seat stunned but it’s true.  Most pro basketball players go broke 5 years after they retire so Iverson is way ahead of schedule. He’s so desperate to get an NBA paycheck he is now willing to play in the D-League if it will lead him back to the Association.  One of the most dynamic players the league has ever seen is now begging to get back in. Iverson made about $154 million in salary over the course of his career and this doesn’t include endorsement deals. Most, if not all of that is gone now. It wasn’t too long ago when his pride would not allow him to come off the bench for any team. Pride unfortunately doesn’t pay the bills as he knows all too well now.

What the hell is going on with LeBron James? This guy just keeps shooting himself in the foot. With “Linsanity” in full effect people have pretty much forgotten all about James but he was back in the news with his comment about not ruling out a return to the Cavs. Huh? He left Cleveland in the worst possible way and now he says he wouldn’t rule out a return to that same place? If you’re a Miami Heat fan how are you supposed to interpret that? Is he all in with the Heat or not? Sometimes silence is golden and that couldn’t be truer than with LeBron James. Dude, just shut up and win a title.

Chris Paul has turned the Clippers into contenders overnight. He has made some spectacular plays this season but this certainly wasn’t one of them.  Give credit to Gary Neal for knocking down the big shot to send the game into OT.