Hard to believe that when the 2007-08 season tips off, Suns assistant coach Phil Weber will be entering his ninth season with the organization. But before regular season play begins in the fall, the New York native will play the role of head coach in Las Vegas during the 2007 Summer League.

Weber will coach the Suns team which combines young rookies including Alando Tucker and DJ Strawyberry with veterans including Marcus Banks. Suns.com caught up with the always positive shooting guru to discuss player progress and the team’s slow start.

Suns.com: First off coach, can you just talk about how things are going so far?

Phil Weber: I think things have been going great. We haven’t had a win yet, although the last game was real close. But there are other things we want to get out of the summer league. Things like letting guys like Marcus Banks get in some playing time. Also, the experience Alando Tucker and DJ Strawberry are receiving is invaluable. So we want to evaluate their games and see what needs to be worked on before our season begins. The Summer League also gives us a good chance to look at some of the other players like Otis George.

Suns.com: You mentioned Marcus who went off in that first game against Cleveland. How impressed were you by that scoring outburst which set a new Summer League record?

Weber: You know, he’s a very talented player. We play a lot different than most teams and it’s just a matter of him becoming a part of that. He’s embraced the whole learning process, is trying to get better this summer and has a lot of talent – that’s how he was able to score 42 points.

Suns.com: Do you also see him emerging more as a leader through this process as well?

Weber: Yes. He’s taken Alando and DJ under his wing a little bit in a mentoring role and is trying to do everything right. You have to admire that and we appreciate it as a franchise.

Suns.com: He missed last night’s contest against Philadelphia with a sore shoulder. How serious is it and do you expect him to miss some time?

Weber: Late in our scrimmage against Detroit – which we won by the way – he kind of popped his shoulder a little bit during one of the last plays. He should be fine and playing tomorrow.

Suns.com: Last night it was the two draft selections, Tucker and Strawberry, who seemed to steal the show. You took Tucker in the first round with the 29th overall pick. How would you evaluate his game thus far?

Weber: It’s exciting to have him a part of this franchise. He’s an unbelievable talent athletically and a high character guy who is willing to work. He’s proven he can make big shots at big moments and I think him going to school for four years in the Big Ten has served him well. I think he’s made the transition to the perimeter a little better than we anticipated. He’s played predominantly on the inside and has shown a great touch around the basket, but we need him to get better around the perimeter. I think he and DJ both are going to be great additions.

Suns.com: Alando certainly didn’t shy away from taking big shots down the stretch.

Weber: Absolutely.

Suns.com: And DJ Strawberry who you guys took in the second round. How has he looked in the early going?

Weber: You know DJ surprised us a little bit last night. We knew he had played point guard a little bit in college, and with Marcus out last night he ended up running the show quite a bit. He really showed that it’s a possibility and defensively he and Alando have had some chemistry. DJ adds another tremendous athlete and there’s no substitute when trying to create the faster pace we do particularly with that second unit in the fall.

Suns.com: Of course with rookies, you’re going to have rookie mistakes. Is that easy to accept as a coach?

Weber: We’ll take some of those mistakes as long as we keep the pace up and they’ll get better.

Suns.com: How would you say the experience has been for the two rookies themselves?

I think it’s a really good thing. They seem to have a close relationship already and they’ll be putting in a lot of hours of work together. It’s a good situation for us to have two young, hungry players.

Suns.com: Has anybody else stood out to you during these first couple of games?

Weber: We have a good group but Otis George is someone we’d like to keep an eye on. Contractually I think he’s locked up for next year and there’s a few we’d like to monitor, but he’s one whose stepped up a little bit.

Suns.com: Do you notice a difference in terms of hunger when dealing with these players compared to veterans during the regular NBA season?

Weber: You’ve just got to relay to these guys that you’re performing for 30 NBA teams not just the Phoenix Suns, but most of them know that. They know all of their actions are being monitored whether they’re in the game or not. It’s a highly concentrated experience and your expectations can’t be too great, but after seeing what we’ve done in five days last night, I think it was rewarding for them to see we were acting like a team. Our goal for each timeout this week is to play hard and play together and I think they’ve done that.

Suns.com: And for yourself, how has this experience of being a head coach been?

Weber: You know, I’m going to be a head coach but I’m not in any rush. I’m excited every day to go to work where I am now with Mike D’Antoni and the rest of the staff which gives me valuable experience. I’m grateful for the franchise for allowing me to do that.

Suns.com: Was dropping these first two games frustrating, or do you understand that with young players and a new mix of players that winning is going to take time?

Weber: I’m a very competitive person like all people in athletics and I want to get a win and we’ll always do whatever we can to get a win. But there are things which are more of a priority and I want to make sure those are the things we stay in line with.

Suns.com: You going to get any time to relax while in Las Vegas or is it all work and no play?

Weber: Up until today it’s been kind of a grind because you want to see everybody and if you’re not playing you want to go see the other teams. I’m going to watch tape of our games a couple times and then maybe hit the tables a little bit.