Here's something different: A former Heat player who does not rip coach Pat Riley.

The Suns' Dan Majerle, who played five years for Riley in Miami, has heard player after player criticize Riley after leaving.

"It's disappointing because he's taken care of every one of us while we were there," said Majerle, who signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Suns to finish his career in the city he has made his home.

"For those guys to rip him once they're gone is wrong. Tim (Hardaway) was taken care of. He paid Tim how much money? He brought (Anthony Mason) in and Mase had a great year."

Hardaway has a problem with the way Riley treats people and believed he was not loyal to his players. Hardaway made about $14 million last season, more than any point guard in the league.

Mason became an All-Star for the first time while in Miami last season, then criticized Riley for showing him no respect during the summer.

"A lot of these guys just don't understand that his hands are tied as far bringing people back, and people want to go in a different direction," Majerle said. "It's not anything personal. It's a business decision."

The list is much longer. Jamal Mashburn, P.J. Brown, Voshon Lenard, Mark Strickland all flourished in Miami.

Riley knows Majerle is different.

"Dan is a guy that brought energy, great will, and incredible desire and determination to do what you wanted to do to win," Riley said. "He was a great team guy. He is hard-nosed, smart and he's a winner, what I define as a true professional."

Majerle broke from the Suns' warm-up line before Saturday's game to shake hands and give Riley a hug. The two shared a laugh over the advertisement for Dan Majerle bobble-head night.

Majerle said this season, his 14th, likely will be his last. Coming off the bench, he is averaging 4.2 points, shooting 33 percent.

"It's getting too tough, the league is whole lot different," Majerle said. "The mind is still there but the body is not doing what the mind wants."

? Noteworthy: Sean Marks, who has missed the past 20 games, mostly due to a strained neck, is likely to be taken off the injured list during this West Coast trip. . . . Bill Frieder, who coached Eddie House at Arizona State, watched his former All-America player.