Monday Thunderbolts

• Want to get a free glance at the team? October 20th, the Thunder will open practice to the public.

• Fox Sports Charley Rosen: “After being temporarily aroused by the young, exciting Hornets, will the locals keep the faith when the Thunder turn out to be the worst team in the league?” Want my answer Charley? Yes.

• Coach Carlesimo is very concerned about injuries, especially when all three centers are banged up.  “The Thunder entered training camp with two of their three centers, Robert Swift and Mo Sene, hampered by injuries. On Saturday, the team lost its last healthy center when Johan Petro sustained a mild strain to his right hamstring. Team officials are listing Petro as day to day, but a prolonged absence will be a blow to the Thunder’s frontline. Carlesimo said he’s disappointed that Swift, who fractured his right hand in the offseason, is behind and likely will have a hard time catching up.”

• What will the Thunder have accomplished in the next 10 years? Poster Wrap10 at OKCNBAFans.com has an idea and it’s pretty entertaining: “What a difference a decade makes. Ten years to the day after settling a controversial lawsuit that brought a struggling franchise to this once quiet city on the southern plains, and in defiance of early-day naysayers, the NBA’s most fearsome weather event held another celebration. Complete with a mild storm, and yes, even a little thunder. It rained on Oklahoma City’s parade.  And Oklahoma City loved every minute of it.”

• John McGrath of the News Tribune, “Maybe the Sonics leaving town wasn’t so bad”: “Just lose, baby. Just lose, and trade imprudently, and draft unwisely, and keep paying Robert Swift $2,601,113 a season for averaging 1.8 points and 2.3 rebounds over eight games. In the meantime, keep this thought: Throughout the history of the NBA, good things seem to happen – and happen immediately – to sports markets that lose an NBA franchise.”

• And Mike Baldwin did a pretty neat, “Get to know the Thunder” thing (click to make bigger):

And finally, later I’ll start with my daily preview of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Today, I’ll be taking a nonsensical look at the stats to attempt to determine who is the team’s most important player and who needs to play well to win. I know. You can’t wait.