The skinny: Seattle’s intent for this season was made clear back on draft night when new GM Sam Presti swapped Ray Allen to Boston for spare parts. A week later, the Sonics let Rashard Lewis walk to Orlando in a sign-and-trade deal that netted them next to nothing in tangible parts for the coming season. The rebuilding begins around lottery picks Kevin Durant (19.4 points per game, 40 percent shooting) and Jeff Green (9.0 points, 4.9 rebounds). Chris Wilcox is Seattle’s lone post scoring threat, averaging 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour share the point, Watson currently the starter. Center remains a huge problem. Johan Petro is the nominal starter du jour. Veteran Nick Collison is coming off the bench, as is swingman Damien Wilkins. Seattle is 16-43 and 6-22 on the road, but comes in off a win at Minnesota on Sunday. Presti has taken some criticism around the league for trade-deadline deals that appeared to be little more than favors to his two former employers, San Antonio and Cleveland, in trades that brought back only one player of marginal use to Seattle, ex-Spurs spare big man Francisco Elson.

What to watch: Seattle might not be the team capable of springing the trap, but this is unmistakably a trap game for the Pistons – the first one back from a weeklong Western road swing with a nationally anticipated showdown at Boston looming 24 hours later. It adds up to the kind of game where Flip Saunders will use his bench liberally if the warning signs are there early. It will bear watching to see how he uses Juan Dixon in this one. With Chauncey Billups unavailable for Saturday night’s win at the LA Clippers, Dixon was superb in 23 minutes spent mostly at the point. Billups will be back for Seattle. If Dixon works his way into the backcourt rotation, it likely will be at the expense of Arron Afflalo’s minutes with Rodney Stuckey seeing more duty off the ball.

Probable Starters

Prince McDyess Wallace Hamilton Billups Forward Forward Center Guard Guard Green Wilcox Petro Durant Watson