Basketball On The Internet.

YOU have to wonder whether the NBL losing its complete 2013-14 All Star Five ahead of the 2014-15 season is a good or bad omen.

Count ‘em – all five will be wearing overseas outfits during the southern summer.

Rotnei Clarke (Hawks), Chris Goulding (Tigers), Daniel Johnson (36ers) and AJ Ogilvy (Kings) will all be plying their trade in Europe while James Ennis (Wildcats) will be in the NBA.

But before you recoil in horror, I’m guessing this is as every bit a glass half full scenario as the opposite.

I mean, while the NBL loses its 2014 MVP in Clarke, it already has 2013 MVP Cedric Jackson back at New Zealand.

While Goulding heads to Spain, the reality is the Tigers last season and United now always were (at the very least) half-planning but more likely full-on planning for life without the club’s dual-MVP and the NBL’s 2012 All Star Game MVP.

For Goulding to make it to his ultimate destination, the NBA, he needs a hefty heaping helpin’ of paella and seasoning in Spain.

It’s where most recently Brad Newley, Joe Ingles and Nathan Jawai all made their marks after having NBL careers underpin their rise.

So Goulding goes but Melbourne has dual-Olympian David Barlow back.

It’s not the most horrible of trade-offs.

Johnson pursuing his European dream – he hasn’t signed anywhere yet but his agent has made it clear that’s his next destination – assuredly leaves a hole in the 36ers.

Recruiting free agent import Jamar Wilson who currently is playing in Finland, and Olympic veteran Peter Crawford are solid moves.

But it is the second import who now most intrigues because he will have to be relatively big to fill DJ’s shoes, and a scorer.

That’s cause for excitement right there.

Same in Perth where watching Ennis move up to the NBA means the Wildcats will have plenty of leverage in the US to supplement their reigning champion with someone of similar ilk.

If I was a Perth fan, I’d be pretty pleased about that prospect.

And while Ogilvy’s departure is a blow for Sydney, exposing exciting new faces such as Angus Brandt and Josh “The Slaim” Duinker – both locals who have “made good” elsewhere – cannot hurt the program.

Plus rookie coach Damian Cotter still has imports to add to that roster.

Let’s face it. For the past six years, the MVP hasn’t stuck around for long after claiming the ultimate accolade.

Clarke joins *Jackson, Kevin Lisch, *Gary Ervin, *Corey Williams and Kirk Penney with his departure looking potentially devastating for the NBL, as it may have when the others headed to Europe.

(The asterisked players all made it back to the NBL at some point though, proving lifestyle can compensate for Eurodollars.)

In 2013, three of the All Star Five – Jackson, Lisch and Seth Scott – did not make it back for 2014.

It’s not unusual and nor is it devastating.

Being an MVP, an All Star selection or an award-winner in the NBL is a big plus on the resume and often means we see the talent at the point it is emerging and most exciting.

Sure, it isn’t joyous for our league to lose players to richer markets but it still says plenty that is positive about our league that it can produce such players.

And that, at the end of the day, so many either come back or certainly plan to – just ask an Ingles where he plans to finish his career.

The news Melbourne import Steve Dennis is getting back to his best is another plus.

He showed all the skills to suggest he was headed for stardom in the NBL before a late preseason injury cut that down.

Yes, we can lament losing Goulding, Johnson and Ogilvy but that opens room in teams for the next versions of those guys.

I recall lamenting the loss to Newley, Ingles and Jawai way back when.

And then someone new emerged, as they will now, too.