Suns having a difficult time overcoming the loss of Amare (Star Telegram)

By Dwain Pricedprice@star-telegram.com

DALLAS - The Phoenix Suns are life to be a little more difficult without one of their former stars, Amare Stoudemire.

Especially when you consider the number of HP calibre Stoudemire has conditioned for the New York Knicks this season.

Stoudemire has played for the Suns, 2002 until they signed a contract with the Knicks free agent this summer for about $ 100 million and five years. The power of 6-10 forward was a luminaire with Phoenix, where he became a five-time all-star.

"You're going to miss him," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said after shootaround Friday morning at American Airlines Center. "How [the Dallas Mavericks] Miss Dirk Nowitzki]?"

"You're talking about a guy who is the best NBA together what he done." And when you're the best in the League for what you do and you leave a team, obviously it will be a gap there and you're going to miss him.

Stoudemire is third in the League in scoring (26.7 points per game) and 15 rebounds (9.1 per game, while helping to revive a Knicks 16-10 team. Phoenix is the 12-12 position in the game tonight in Dallas (20-5).

Suns than before Grant Hill stated that his teammates are still trying to discover the adjustments they need to do now that Stoudemire plays in the Big Apple.

"We are trying to get more coherent", said Hill. "But we are working hard and we have a few good."

Hill stated departure of Stoudemire only compare the rendering - LeBron James' live TV this summer has announced that he was leaving Cleveland to Miami.

"I am pleased to Amare, and he is a friend that is ours," Hill said. "It is not the LeBron situation."

"We're all liked [Stoudemire] and he came and worked with us before the start of the season. I am happy for him and had successful happy that he have and is really getting this excitement back in New York for basketball. »

Nobility of fair wishes that something could have worked that would have kept Stoudemire in Phoenix.

"There is nobody that we get in the League who can fill the [difference in] what he did for us,"Gentry said.""

"But he is not here." What we have to do is figure how [at] play and be effective without being here. »

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Passing Naulls, Amar'e WINS fan (New York Daily News)

From the mark 30 points for the eighth game directly Sunday against the nuggets, Amar'e Stoudemire passes (below) Willie Naulls outputs streak of seven-right 30 points.

On March 2, 1962, Willie Naulls scored 31 points for the Knicks. Not that anyone who remembered primarily for its performance, almost half a century later.

All basketball junkies know it was the night that Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points against the Knicks in Hershey, PA.

About a year after part of the history of the NBA, Naulls, a four star, met a prodigy of height, unhealthy basketball playing to Memorial in Manhattan and began to sell him on the benefits of education at UCLA.

Name of the Naulls was much more recently in the press, but not because of epic game or its recruitment of impressionable high school student named Lew Alcindor Chamberlain.

Now 76 and lecturing the churches in the region of Los Angeles, Pastor Willie Naulls Chair as he was known, because one of its last scoring records broken Sunday by Amar Knick'e Stoudemire.

In 1962, the 6-6 marked to 30 points in seven consecutive matches Naulls, last entrance at night than Wilt gained immortality by scoring 100. Less-publicized the Naulls feat was exceeded when Stoudemire has compiled 30 points to win the Knicks of Denver - the eighth victory right.

"To be honest with you, I was very surprised that I have taken even a record this several years later," said Naulls, from his home in Southern California Sunday. "I was surprised that he was not been broke by other big Knicks came on after me, whose Walt Frazier and Dick Barnett." I wish Mr. Stoudemire Godspeed. »

Wednesday evening, Stoudemire will try to expand the band as the Knicks go with their 14th victory in their last 15games when the Celtics is leader of the garden, a 10-game winning band riding.

"It is an extraordinary athlete," said Naulls. "I have not seen playing for the Knicks, except for some highlights." But I saw him several times while he was with Phoenix and he played here against the Lakers. He and (Steve) Nash has been a great combination. I always thought it is a credit to the sport because it is sweet-elitist and gentleman in his public behavior. »

During the seeding of Naulls, the Knicks have been 2-5, including the night when Chamberlain, a close friend had his legendary game.

"The thing that I remember that night was here Wilt, which was 50%, the best free throw shooter and he made 28 32", said Naulls. "The day after the match, he climb me with him back in New York." Overall, leads us in his car. We had a conversation. »

Naulls don't remember exactly what he was young his alma mater, UCLA, Alcindor but he forget not the first time that he met him.

"I was walking the hallway in the garden after a match and I heard a voice above me said," Hello, Mr. Naulls. " I looked and there was Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). It is a little unusual to have someone talking over me. We have been lucky get Kareem go to UCLA, not only the sports point of view. He was a student in great, too. »

Alcindor has fame and three titles at UCLA, Naulls obtained a career break in obtaining exchanged by the Knicks and put an end to his career in Boston, where he won three rings.

"Anyone who remembers those days remembers that Willie was a great player, recalled the Cal Ramsey, former team-mate of the Naulls and now member of the Knicks community relations department. "Willie could really learn from outside."

Naulls is proud of the fact that he was first Captain African American of the Knicks to the position currently held by Stoudemire and is credited with being the first African-American to Captain a team in professional sports.