Basketball On The Internet.

QUITE the surprise how excited media outlets were this week with shock, horror revelations the NBL wants a second Melbourne team in the city's south-east.

Guess the NBL's often-repeated position of wanting a team in Brisbane and a second club in Melbourne has fallen on deaf ears.

Or maybe discussions for a club in Tasmania and/or a return to Canberra have just caught the fourth estate overlooking the obvious.

A presence in south Queensland is so important for 2015-16 and a derby rivalry for Melbourne Tigers, especially in basketball's heartland, just makes sense and always has.

At the risk of beating the same drum over again, a franchise reinstating either the South East Melbourne Magic name or the South Dragons name also makes more sense to me than going for another new Victorian team.

The basketball-loving public in Melbourne deserves some measure of continuity for its second team.

After all, it has had St Kilda Saints become Westside Saints, then Southern Melbourne Saints before merging into South East Melbourne Magic.

Nunawading Spectres became Eastside Spectres before it married the Saints to become South East Melbourne Magic.

But Melbournians also have had Coburg Giants evolve into North Melbourne Giants and eventually marry South East Melbourne Magic to form Victoria Titans.

And after the Titans, there was a reversion back to Victoria Giants.

Lest we forget the Frankston Bears were in the fray too before even the Tigers had run out for the club's first NBL game.

Of course we cannot include the Geelong Cats or later their Geelong Supercats as they are an entity in their own city and own right. But they came and went too.

As did the South Dragons.

So if the second club in Melbourne does get up - and it sure looks positive - then must Melbourne fans be saddled with some new brand like the Garden State Wizards or something?

Haven't Victorians suffered enough?

Revive the Magic name and attach the club's great history, with its Nunawading/St Kilda back stories and an instant tradition.

THE rankings for the last week of the season do not actually resemble the final ladder all that closely, based on form in the last round and leading in.

Here's how they finished up, ahead of the post-season.

NBL Rankings

This Wk - Prev

8 (6) BREAKERS - If they couldn't win it for CJ and under Cairns' tough circumstances, then the crash is complete.

7 (4) KINGS - Had it all in front of them and they could not find the heart to go with the undoubted talent.

6 (7) TAIPANS - Ended on a very strong note, down key men and still able to break NZ. Shame about the rest of the season.

5 (8) CROCODILES - No Brian Conklin and they still went into Sydney and sent Russell Hinder out as a winner.

4 (2) TIGERS - Lost a tough one to close regular season but now everyone starts even which should suit Melbourne.

3 (5) HAWKS - What an inspiring team win to crash the playoff party. The trick now is to stay til the party ends.

2 (3) 36ERS - Solid win over Tigs without Gibson and Creek and go into the post-season with NBL's best home record.

1 (1) WILDCATS – No surprise the 'Cats took care of business. Now for the business end of the year.

THIS WEEK'S TIPS

SEMI Final Game 1s usually favor the home team but it's not as if Melbourne will be in unfamiliar territory tonight after being in Adelaide's house on Sunday. Chris Goulding and Mark Worthington love the Arena - forget last Sunday's meaningless rubber - but the 36ers also regain Adam Gibson and Mitch Creek. Forget the 36ers' 3-1 season-series because this is a whole new ball game. At home, where they are 13-1, the heart says Adelaide. But the head is unconvinced.

PERTH has enjoyed such incredible and consistent 11,000-plus crowd support at The Jungle that its fans are often in shock when any opponent takes it up to the Wildcats. But again, despite a 3-1 season-series to Perth, expect Wollongong to be a different beast to the one which capitulated on Sunday in the round's other meaningless rubber. Can the Hawks get it done? Most definitely. The odds though are with the Wildcats to jump start their playoff campaign with a win.

Online

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/adelaide-36ers-coach-joey-wright-sends-sos-to-fans-and-pours-water-on-no-respect-claims-by-melbourne-tigers-coach-chris-anstey/story-fnii09ki-1226865655512

Dear Basketball Australia,

Forget calling it the "demerger". We made the right decision in our consciously uncoupling from you.

Sincerely,

The NBL