Robyn Beck/NBAE/AFP/Getty Images It’s a little funny to hear the Thunder talk so often about “early energy” and “bringing effort from tipoff.” That’s often the easy excuse for a slow start — that they’re

Doug Pensinger/NBAE/Getty Images WEEK 1 We all know how an NBA season works. About the ebbs and flows, the ups and downs, the high and lows. We know how it’s not wise to read

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images How would you describe Kevin Martin’s shot? One writer said it looked like an elephant raising its trunk. I called it the Hilary Swank of jumpers — neither pretty nor ugly.

D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images They’re back! The mildly popular and not at all essential Thunder player power rankings! It was an awkward first week for the Thunder. Three games, two losses. All featuring the

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images Most of the time when you make predictions, you’re mostly wrong and just hope to let it all fade into oblivion and never mention it again. Except when you’re right, then

Jeyhoun Allebaugh/NBAE/Getty Images It really hit me April 27, 2011, during Game 5 against the Nuggets. The Thunder were trailing Denver late in the fourth quarter, facing the very real and unfortunate prospect that

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images I know, I know. The season starts for the Thunder in two days and there’s a team in place and it’s time to stop talking about James Harden. I agree. That

Whoa. Hello, new guy. It’s moving day for the Thunder. Moving on, moving forward. Judging by the mood and atmosphere of Oklahoma City’s practice Monday, everyone seems to be getting over the James Harden