Detroit (4-1) at Seattle (0-6), 6 p.m.
TV: FSN
RADIO: 770-AM
Series: The Sonics lost both games to Detroit last year, 97-93 at Detroit and 101-97 at home. Seattle is 55-59 overall against the Pistons.
Scouting the Pistons: The Pistons are a veteran team coming off a 103-79 win against the Los Angeles Clippers at home Friday. Detroit has a balanced offensive attack, with Chauncey Billups (19.2 ppg.), Richard Hamilton (16.3), Rasheed Wallace (15.4) and Tayshaun Prince (14.4) all capable of taking over a game. Detroit leads the NBA in points allowed at 87.8 a contest. ... Ex-Sonic Flip Murray is one of the first players to come off the bench for Detroit. .... Eastern Washington and Kentwood High product Rodney Stuckey, now with the Pistons, is on the injured list with a broken bone in his left hand that he injured Oct. 25. Stuckey will be out six weeks. ... The game against the Sonics is the first on Detroit’s five-game road trip.

Scouting the Sonics: Luke Ridnour will get his first start of the season tonight. Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo had said that Ridnour will get more time when he got rid of the mask, as part of his early season evaluation of players at the point guard spot. Delonte West will be the first player off of the bench, and Earl Watson will play a limited role, as Ridnour did the first six games.
Robert Swift will continue starting, as Carlesimo likes getting Robert in the game early when his knee is looses. If Swift can’t go, Nick Collison will start at center.
That means the starting lineup for Seattle tonight will be Luke Ridnour (PG), Kevin Durant (SG), Damien Wilkins (SF), Chris Wilcox (PF) and Swift (C).

Watson started the first six games, averaging 27.5 minutes, seven points, 2.5 turnovers and 7.7 assists a contest.
Watson, who is currently eighth in the league in assists, had this to say about the demotion.
“What matters is what’s best for the team,” Watson said about going back to the bench. “The coach is going to do what he thinks is best for the team, along with the coaching staff and management. Other than that, I’m not going to talk about the details about where I’m at now personally as player.
“I’m not going to talk about myself personally, I’m just going to talk about the team.
“(I’m going to ) just slay the whole situation. Don’t let it become a beast or a distraction for anybody.”

Carlesimo said Kurt Thomas also will see his first action of the season tonight. Thomas has been nursing a mild right hamstring strain for over a week, but finally is ready to go.

Listen to Carlesimo talk about the changes here.