Basketball On The Internet.

IF versatile American playmaker Stephen Dennis returns to the Tigers in anything near the form he showed at the 2014 Blitz, expect Melbourne to be an NBL Championship contender again.

And that is even if it has to surrender NBL All Star and dual-club MVP Chris Goulding to the hallowed NBA or greener pastures of Europe.

Before Dennis snapped his Achilles tendon at practice during the preseason, many - myself included - had him on the top line of candidates for the MVP award eventually won by Wollongong's Rotnei Clarke.

While I have no dispute with Clarke as MVP - remove him from the Hawks and they finish in the bomb shelter, not the playoffs (so many got hooked up on James Ennis being the league's best player {which he was} and therefore thought that equalled MVP. It's not always the best player in the league that claims MVP honors or Michael Jordan would have had 15 in the NBA. It's Most VALUABLE Player and with a lesser import than Ennis, Perth still would have been in the finals and most likely, champion) - had Dennis played, he would have been integral in Melbourne's success.

When Dennis crashed out so unfortunately, dabbling with Ayinde Ubaka - a completely different style of player - and Mustapha Farrakhan ultimately left the Tigers well short of what they may have been able to achieve.

But with Dennis back and Adam Ballinger, Goulding (although he has a release clause he is likely to exercise), Owen Odigie, Nate Tomlinson, Lucas Walker and Mark Worthington all signed, the Tigers' core is intact.

Tommy Greer has retired but with Dennis returning, Melbourne has the building blocks in place.

The full list of free agents is available at nbl.com.au - the league website managing to get the names up online four days after the deadline for opening negotiations.

Not sure how 100% accurate it is but Cairns already looks interesting.

Taipans MVP Cam Gliddon has been assured he will play point guard - coach Aaron Fearne about to repeat history with Al Westover's David Barlow-to-point-guard experiment - which, with the signing of Corey Maynard and retention of Shaun Bruce means there will be no shortage of playmakers up north.

Not sure how Gliddon's international aspirations will be served by playing the point - there are a couple of guys named Mills and Dellavedova ahead of him in that Boomers' spot and a tyro named Dante Exum also earmarked for that role - but who knows what this challenge will yet yield?

Alex Loughton, Mitch Young, Cam Tragardh and Steve Weigh all return, leaving Fearne scope at his import spots and again, with the core intact.

THE Brooklyn Nets today advanced to the second round of the NBA's Eastern Conference playoffs against dual and reigning champion Miami - and also qualified for the World Masters Games - staving off Toronto 104-103.

It was the Nets' first Game 7 win in franchise history and Jason Kidd became the first rookie coach in NBA history to win a Game 7.

Of course when the prize is facing a well-rested Heat ... well, some silver linings have clouds.

In the West, San Antonio advanced by crushing Dallas 119-96 and now face Portland.