The Pistons look to continue their strong play since moving Rodney Stuckey into the starting lineup when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night in search of their eighth straight win.

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars promised to mix things up after Detroit was eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight season last spring, and he delivered by getting Iverson from Denver on Nov. 3.

Iverson has been doing his part to help Detroit (21-11) retain its status as one of the East's top clubs, averaging 18.2 points and 5.6 assists in 28 games with his new team. The trade, though, has also had an unexpected benefit for the Pistons, who opened up a spot for Stuckey at point guard by sending veteran Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets for Iverson.

The Pistons are 10-3 since Stuckey became a starter Dec. 9, and 13-3 overall when the second-year player out of Eastern Washington starts.

Stuckey, named the Eastern Conference player of the week Monday, is averaging 22.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists during Detroit's season-high seven-game win streak. He had a team-high 24 points with six assists Sunday, when Iverson's winning shot was counted on a goaltending call with 4.9 seconds remaining to give Detroit an 88-87 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

"It's just about opportunities. That had a lot to do with the trade happening," Iverson told the Pistons' official Web site. "They were already setting (Stuckey) up to be the main point guard on this team. It was all in the makings and now everybody is seeing that even with a great point guard like Chauncey being gone, we still have one."

Stuckey has risen to the challenge and expects to continue to improve as he gets more accustomed to logging big minutes.

"I knew that once this trade happened, a lot more was going to be on me," said Stuckey, who has also seen increased playing time with forward Richard Hamilton sidelined the last five games with a groin injury. "It's just all about getting better. You guys see me in the gym working on my jump shot after practice. My focus is on being ready to play - and I'm going to continue to get better."

That's bad news for a Trail Blazers team that's struggled in its last two games without Brandon Roy. The All-Star guard, Portland's leading scorer with 23.0 points per game, has missed three straight contests with a sprained right hamstring and isn't expected back for about a week.

Portland (20-14) beat defending NBA champion Boston in its first game without Roy on Dec. 30, but shot less than 40.0 percent from the field each time in consecutive losses to New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers.

"A lot of guys had open shots," forward LaMarcus Aldridge said after Sunday's 100-86 defeat at Staples Center. "We just didn't make them."

Aldridge and the Blazers didn't have much trouble sinking shots against the Pistons on Nov. 30. Aldridge had a season high-tying 27 points and went 11-for-19 from the field as Portland shot 52.2 percent in the 96-85 road victory.

Stuckey had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes off the bench in that game.