Basketball On The Internet.

OUR Australia E team tips off tonight now in its second-last FIBA World Cup qualifying game - the Boomers have already qualified by the way - against Bahrain but this disruption to the NBL Championship Series truly is unconscionable and just makes winning their fourth title that much tougher for Mody Maor's NZ.

The NBL owes the Breakers for standing firm through two COVID-ravaged seasons and helping keep the league alive while suffering quite the cost to their emotional and spiritual wellbeing, basically stuck this side of the Tasman through the vast majority of two years.

Don't think that didn't take its toll.

How did the NBL reward NZ? By playing its opening match of the 2022-23 regular season on the road. Couldn't even give them a home game to start a new era.

You can reasonably assume Basketball Australia is as thrilled about this FIBA window of games against Bahrain and Kazakhstan (on Sunday) as fans of the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers who now have to wait until tomorrow-week for the best-of-five NBL Championship to tip-off.

If FIBA is responsible and has decreed domestic leagues must go into recess during their World Cup Qualifying Windows, the NBL should have told it to get lost.

There's no sane reason why the NBL Championship Series could not have opened with Game 1 tomorrow night at Qudos Bank Arena, or on Saturday at the Kings' home.

No-one playing for the Kings was considered for this Boomers team. And for that matter, no-one from the Breakers was considered for the Tall Blacks team which this weekend hosts Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.

Like the Aussies, the Kiwis also have already qualified for the World Cup.

Instead we have this incredibly farcical situation where our most prestigious event on the men's basketball calendar is shunted two weeks away from when the semi finals concluded.

What league does that? And then check this out for a great opening argument the NBL does not want to see New Zealand succeed.

Game 1 is in Sydney tomorrow-week - why do we have to wait the entire week when the NBL has had fixtures on every day of the week this season? - before the Breakers host Game 2 on Sunday.

Effectively, Sydney gets to play its match, both teams board planes on Saturday and travel across the ditch. And then they come out fighting on Sunday.

If the Breakers need to make any adjustments from Friday, they'll have the game day shootaround to sort it out. Very helpful ... not.

And then?

Well we get to wait a further week before once again Game 3 is in Sydney on Friday, Game 4 (if required) in Auckland on Sunday.

Yeah. This really gives the Breakers an even chance.

So if we require a deciding Game 5? Well that's on the following Wednesday!

How can any of this be justified?

Playing Game 1 this weekend would have had zero impact on the FIBA WC Qualifiers. They're being played in Melbourne. Game 1 of the Championship would be in Sydney. On a different night.

The positive cross promotion - see international basketball and watch our best go at it for the NBL Championship - makes a whole lot more sense than the farce we now endure after a superlative NBL regular season, excellent playoff rounds and a grand final that really also should reach great heights.

Yes, I know there's always the issues of "venue availability" but Friday-Sunday-Friday-Sunday-Wednesday for the NBL Final smacks of scheduling laziness and no real insight given into having two clubs (not one) fully able to put forward their best foot.

And as for BA through FIBA leaning on the NBL to shift its Championship Series, can you really imagine anyone at the federation having the sort of clout that would make the league's hierarchy bat an eyelid?

This is how basketball can so regularly get it wrong. Oh well. Let's sit back and enjoy the big game tonight for the Boomers against Bahrain that was so important we had to put the sport's momentum on hold.