Basketball On The Internet.

YEAH you know it. The big question on everyone's lips today is, just who will win the Ray Borner Medal?

The medal is the "annual" preseason tournament trophy for MVP of the series. Or maybe it's for MVP of the Final. I can't remember.

But then, neither can anyone at the NBL.

Last time I recall it even being awarded was at the Blitz in Cairns one year when I think the 36ers and Kings played the final. Yeah, it was waaay back in the Phil Smyth-Brian Goorjian era.

Ah, those were the days. But I digress.

Can't remember who won it but DO remember the Borner Medal was going to be the perpetual preseason individual award.

So after yesterday's round of matches, I'd say DJ (Daniel Johnson) would be my favorite for the Medal, IF (and it is a big IF) the medal is for tournament MVP.

IF (and it's a bigger IF) it is for the Final MVP, then you'd have to think Perth's Shawn Redhage would be favorite, going in.

He has had a good series for the Wildcats who meet Wollongong today in a repeat of the 2010 NBL Grand Final showdown.

It's hard to select a stand-out for the Hawks so far because it was Rhys Martin and Dave Gruber leading the way against the 36ers, then Daniel Jackson the main man against the Crocs.

No, maybe I've done Martin a disservice. He's had an outstanding tournament.

JUST in case you haven't checked nbl.com.au, wnbl.com.au or adelaidenow.com.au for stories and results of Day 2 yesterday, for the record here's how it went.

The 36ers beat the Kings, the Breakers held off the Taipans, the Wildcats escaped the Tigers and the Crocs went from the luggage they appeared to be against NZ to handbags and matching shoes against the Hawks.

The WNBL tipped off with the Waves almost dumping the Boomers, but not quite, China B beating Lightning B, the Spirit stamping out the Fire, the Caps coming back to power over the Rangers and the Flames beating the Thunder.

WHO was missing?

Alex Loughton sat out for Cairns, which already is missing Dusty Rychart and Aaron Grabau. Both of them suffered rare and freakish finger injuries within days of each other, probably trying to embrace this brave new digital age.

Mika Vukona had a Moccona with Tom Abercrombie on the sidelines as the Breakers finished over the Taipans.

Tim Coenraad, who missed the double O/T win over Adelaide due to planta fasciatis (I hope you spelt that right for me Mili cause I just copied it!) was back on the court against the Crocs but Larry Davidson (as expected after jarring his knee against the 36ers) gave his bandana a night off.

Just for good measure, Glen Saville also took a spell, regaling Davidson at the end of the Hawks bench with stories of his boyhood and lace-up balls and peach baskets.

Add Tyson Demos (knee) to the list of the Hawks missing too, by the way.

Across the courts, the Tigers sat down Liam Rush, Adam Ballinger and Chris Goulding for the clash with the Wildcats, who gave Nick Marvin a night off to go eat home-made Indian food with his rellies.

Oh yeah. And Townsville's imports took the night off again too. No point in rushing things.

On the WNBL front, who was missing was almost more pertinent than who was there, virtually every team at less than full strength.

Except China B, of course.

Lightning coach Peter Buckle admitted later that about an hour after having the Chinese, his team was hungry for another quarter at least.

WHAT did we learn?

1) That Sydney's imports CAN play. I had Corin Henry and Darnell Lazare earmarked for an early departure after a first quarter against Adelaide which had the 36ers ahead by as many as 11.

But Henry (he's the pocket dynamo) opened the second with a shake-and-bake ankle-breaker move to score, then followed with a tear-drop down the lane, then a three as the 36ers were suddenly at a loss to pick their poison with him.

Not sure whether it was his rise in stature which stung Lazare, but he made a strong post move, first seeing off DJ, then taking Luke Skyhooker underneath for a basket and bonus free throw.

Hello!

He drove on the next play to score and had nine for the period, Henry with 11 in the quarter.

Lazare's block against the backboard of a Schenscher lay-up late in the game also was quality.

Fellas, the idea is to play like this all the time.

2) That the 36ers' inability to box out was not an aberration against the Hawks, the Kings with a further 15 offensive boards yesterday.

3) That, regardless of the fact Jason Forte and Curtis Withers have shown precious little at this tournament, Townsville does have "history". By that I mean, Eddie Gill and Elvin Mims didn't set the world alight at the Sunshine State Challenge last year, either.

OK. In hindsight that may have been a sign Mims wasn't going to have an impact as it turned out but it would have been a serious misread on Gill, who was a good player in our league.

But the Crocs were awful this time last year too, but they were playing in the finals while five clubs were playing golf. (And a putter).

4) Kevin Braswell is under no illusions he is struggling offensively.

"I'm looking for my jumpshot and rhythm!!! Its been lost for about 2 months. If found, please tweet me and I will send you $1" he tweeted this morning.

It might be worth a bit more than a buck Kevin. I'd take another look at the dollar value of my contract. But a problem faced is a problem soon solved.

5) Paul Woolpert is still the most animated and entertaining coach in our league. Ah for the days of Kerley, Coley, Bobby, Cal, Brucey and Co.

6) The 36ers are averaging 100 points per game ... but they don't play defence.

WHAT did we notice?

1) That Daniel Jackson had finally made it through the Stargate and showed he may actually be a solid NBL player, not just a towel waver.

2) That Shawn Dennis is the short-hair version of Matt Knight.

3) Bennie Lewis may be heading for a break-out year.

4) Tom Maher is still the most realistic and honest coach in the NBL-WNBL.

5) That there are more Martins in teams than any other names. There's Damian Martin, Rhys Martin, Luke Martin and Martin Clarke.

Next cab off the rank is the Matts of Burston, Knight and Andronicos.

(You know how sometimes they have "filler" tracks on music CDs that don't mean much? This was my version of that.)

6) That Tom Garlepp is more accurate when his shots hit the top of the backboard and bounce back in, as his late first quarter bucket did.

WHERE is everybody?

This morning was the landmark meeting of the NBL Coaches Association and while they were gathering, the NBL Players Association - e.g, all the players - also were meeting.

Not to be outdone by the NBLCA or the NBLPA, today we conducted the first official meeting of the NBLMA (NBL Media Association) ... in a phone box on Springvale Rd, Glen Waverley.

IN the NBLCA's first major decision, today's final round of NBL Preseason Tournament matches was hastily rearranged!

While the Final had to be left unaffected - Perth v Wollongong, 8pm, Court 1 at Dandy - the rest of the games have been reshuffled.

So instead of Sydney playing Townsville for 7th-8th, Cairns facing Melbourne for 5th-6th, and Olympic assistant coaches Andrej Lemanis and Marty Clarke squaring off for the bronze with their NZ and Adelaide teams, it now will be as follows:

Sydney versus New Zealand, Melbourne versus Townsville and Adelaide versus Cairns.

But...but...it makes no sense!

Now we'll never truly know who REALLY came 5th. Or 8th. Or 3rd.

One meeting and these coaches are already renegades and off the rails!

SO back to the Borner Medal which, like the All Star Game played at Apollo Stadium in the early 80s, appears to just have been forgotten or erased from everyone's NBL memory.

What gives?

For starters, I never understood why a medal was named after Borner which would be given at preseason events.

Preseason events - Blitzes, Sunshine Challenges etc - are erratic at best.

And was Borner always in such great shape in preseason that a medal should be named after him?

I kinda remember Ray with a pasty in one hand and a hot-dog in the other, Vienna frankly.

Yes, in 1985 he created history as the first Australian to win league MVP honors so I DO get why there was a move to keep his name alive in the sport.

But let's face it. The NBL isn't all that consistent in such things.

The Larry Sengstock Medal for Grand Final MVP is named after Larry because he won five championships and he also was the inaugural Grand Final MVP in 1979. (Though Steve Breheny still will argue he should have got it.)

No problem with that. But CJ Bruton has won five titles now too. And David Stiff won six.

At the very least, what about a Stiff Medal for the MVP of the runner-up?

SPEAKING of inconsistent, precious little can compare with the 36ers over the years and their retirement of uniform numbers.

Just for the record, my strong view is the #33 of Mark Davis and the #5 of Brett Maher should also be joined in the rafters by the #15 of Al Green and the #4 of Darryl Pearce and those should be iced forever.

But what the Sixers originally did was "retire" Al Green's 15, then Peter Ali's 8, Ray Wood's 9, Darryl Pearce's 4, Mike McKay's 10...yeah, they went a little nuts there.

Then Rick Brunson wore Pearce's 4 anyway and Wood's 9 was worn by Scott Ninnis, who had a #6 retired in his honor instead. Then Willie Farley wore 9 as well.

Confused?

So was everyone so then 36ers chairman Mal Simpson announced the numbers only would be retired for the amount of years they represented. Yeah, NOT how many years the player wearing it played, but the number itself.

So Pearce's 4 was to be retired for four years, Al's 15 for fifteen years etc.

Getting sillier?

OK. So they finished up canning that concept when someone mentioned it would be tough to retire Chris Blakemore's 00 because it would have to come down during the erection ceremony!

So now all the "retired" numbers are unretired and (rightly in my view) only #33 and #5 are official.

My point? The Ray Borner Medal is all but forgotten.