The North Carolina State alum has taken on even more responsibility this offseason as he serves as head coach for the Suns' entry in the Toshiba Vegas Summer League. Weber -- who is coaching a talented mix of rookies and free-agents, not to mention Suns superstar Amaré Stoudemire -- took a timeout to talk with Suns.com about the team's first three games and the players he's helping to develop.

Suns.com: How has it been going as a whole these first few games for you?

Phil Weber: "Things have been going well. Watching (Amaré ) Stoudemire progress and take these first steps back adds enjoyment after all the work I’ve seen him do. Watching him always being there (for practice) at 7 in the morning and finally getting to see him play has been a great experience."

Suns.com: Talk about that progress. How has he looked playing his first games since March?

Weber: "Well, I know that he’s not where he’s going to be. He’s been able to do some moves and I know he’s experienced some stiffness, but he’s relearning how to run with both knees. He’s had a great first step and it’s allowed him to enjoy some of the process because it is hard work coming back from an injury like that."

Suns.com: How is he getting along with the guys? Is he taking the lead out there?

Weber: "During the game there have been moments where he’s taken control a little bit. There’s no question the guys know who they’re playing with, so they do try to find him and understand how powerful a player he is. He’s been a great teammate."

Suns.com: What’s surprised you most about the Summer Suns?

Weber: "I’ve got to tell you, everything has pretty much gone the way we envisioned it. We were hoping to get a look at some guys and we did. One or two of the guys, maybe three, may get invitations to our vet camp (in October), although that will be a little difficult with us doing it over in Italy. So I’m sure our numbers will be down. We won’t be doing an 18 member training camp like we’ve done in the past. But we anticipated Amaré to play and have been pleasantly surprised. Like I said, he’s had some nice outings."

Suns.com: You guys had a close loss to the Pistons last night. Are losses tough to swallow during Summer League play or is the focus strictly on seeing the individual players on the team?

Weber: "We want to get guys minutes and get a look at them, but we want to win every game. We got out to an early lead (against Detroit) but were unable to get any type of flow with 96 fouls being called. The game took two hours and 45 minutes and it’s only a 40 minute game, so that’s the exact opposite of how we like to play."

Suns.com: Maciej Lampe was a bright spot for you guys last night. He really lit it up. Can you talk about his play so far?

Weber: "Maciej’s been good. I decided I was going to give him more minutes last night and he responded. He shot the ball extremely well going 8-for-8 and was active defensively, so last night was a good one for him."

Suns.com: What improvements have you seen in his game since he was last in Phoenix?

Weber: "I think he’s hungrier right now. He’s more active and looks like he’s lost a little weight. He’s maybe playing with a little bit more confidence because he understands he’s supposed to be a guy having success out there."

Suns.com: The quest for a backup point guard continues. What has Romain Sato shown you to try and sell you he’s the guy?

Weber: "He’s had some pretty good games but that’s a tough and very important role with us. We’ve had some guys with good outings and are looking for some consistency, so we’ll see what happens in these last two games. Sato’s been solid. He hasn’t shot the ball real well, but again, we have two more outings and would like to see that."

Suns.com: Ruben Douglas is another guard whose played strong for you as of late. Can you talk about his game?

Weber: "Ruben has surprised us with his ability to make plays and will be one of a lot of guys we’re watching closely these last two games. We knew he could shoot and he could score coming in, but he’s made plays for others also, which is good."

Suns.com: What has the head coaching experience meant to you this summer?

Weber: "I love it. It’s what I want to eventually be and this gives me good experience. I’m absolutely ecstatic of where I am right now working with our franchise and Mike and the rest of the staff, but from an individual standpoint it gives me experience that I’ll be able to draw from somewhere later in my career."

Suns.com: How close do you come to these players and do you think it will be hard to leave when all is said and done?

Weber: "This is my seventh year doing this. First time as a head coach, but what you want is to hopefully help them down the road because there are only so many that will eventually be a part of our franchise, if any. So all you ask is they play hard and play together, and from there it’s more of a relationship that you want to help them down the road."

Suns.com: What do you feel will be the most important thing as summer camp comes to an end for the Phoenix Suns organization?

Weber: "Just the experience that Amaré’s had playing again in front of a crowd. That was our main focus, to get him going again and make strides, because he is so vital to our success next year."