Basketball On The Internet.

THE ideas have been pouring in about what direction the "new" NBL should take in season 2014-15, expansion a very hot topic.

Don't worry. I will publish a bunch of the better suggestions here over the early part of next week, now the NBA Finals will settle down for a few days.

But today's idea revolves around expansion, specifically into New Zealand.

While many of you have agreed with the obvious and essential - a Brisbane presence and a second Melbourne team being the most immediately desirable options - a surprising amount have lamented the passing of Canberra, Hobart, Gold Coast and their other favorite teams.

Not sure how realistic it is to envisage NBL presences back in many of the suggested locales but there is evidence to suggest a second team across the Tasman could be viable.

Wellington Saints, who have a stellar record in the New Zealand NBL, have made overtures in the past and with the success of the Auckland-based NZ Breakers - a hat-trick of NBL Championships is a dynasty, after all - it makes sense at a lot of levels.

Not the least of which is practicality.

Playing the Breakers in Auckland on a Thursday and the Saints in Wellington on the Saturday - or vice versa - is considerably more cost-effective than one road game across the ocean.

But, just as the Kings were very negative about a second Sydney club, back in the day, seeking the Breakers' opinion on a second NZ presence in our NBL seemed as pertinent as hearing Wellington's pro-admission arguments.

Who better to ask than the Breakers' triple-championship coach and new Boomers' boss, Andrej Lemanis?

"Honestly? I have no problem with it," he said.

"Internally, there's the opportunity for a great rivalry (in NZ) and better cost-effectiveness for NBL teams coming over from Australia.

"From a sponsorship or TV-deal point of view, two games (in New Zealand) makes a lot of sense.

"The only thing I don't know is whether there is the ability to sustain two programs, from a talent-depth perspective."

The other very valid point Lemanis made was similar to the one Victorian footy fans feared when the VFL became the AFL - that one day the last Saturday in September would feature two non-Victorian teams in the Grand Final at the MCG.

It's happened a few times too - Brisbane-Port Adelaide, Sydney-West Coast spring to mind - but the crowd still came and the interest still there.

But what would the interest be across mainland Australia if the best-of-three NBL Grand Final was being contested between the Breakers and the Saints in New Zealand?

It was hard enough keeping fans outside NZ and WA interested this season past.

"How well do you think that would go over?" Lemanis said.

It's a damn good question too.

A second NZ team might well mean it is time to have the NBL change its name (no, NOT to the fictional ANBL) but maybe to the Oceania Basketball League, or something more embracing of its two-nation expansion.