Thompson Becomes Man in Middle : Lakers: With no clear heir apparent to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. can no longer afford to use the veteran in backup role.

Do not believe Mychal Thompson when he says the racing stripe that passes for his new haircut was designed by physicists for maximum running speed with minimum wind resistance.

He did it, Laker players suspect, simply for shock value and to defy fashion modes.

Humor him when Thompson claims that any serious golfer would drive off with a bucket of balls in his car if he were too busy to finish up at the driving range. At least, that is what Thompson told police in Lake Oswego, Ore., last summer when they cited him for doing it.

And dismiss totally Thompson’s oft-proclaimed desire to become prime minister of his native Bahamas. Any further encouragement would only perpetuate his delusions.

But when the veteran center objects mildly to the growing prospect that he will be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s replacement as the Lakers’ starting center, believe him.

Throughout Abdul-Jabbar’s farewell tour last season and all summer, Thompson has maintained that he is content as the Lakers’ backup center-power forward, top quotesmith and resident jokester.

Despite General Manager Jerry West’s efforts to acquire a starting center by a trade, free-agent signing or any means short of kidnaping, the Lakers have not bagged one. Yugoslav import Vlade Divac is considered a project; Mark McNamara seems born to be a backup. So that, by default, leaves Thompson.

The joke, it turns out, may be on him.

Now that Thompson finds himself paired with the four established Laker starters in training-camp workouts, reality has set in. So, he has backed off a bit on his previous denial that he will be the starting center.

“If that’s the job, sure I’ll take it and do a good job with it,” Thompson said. “I wasn’t expecting to be the starting center. I just want us to get another big body because we need somebody to take Kareem’s place. We haven’t done that yet. Whether it’s a starter or somebody backing me up, I hope they get him. “I don’t care who they bring in here. If Jerry can bring in Rick Mahorn, that would be great. You can never have enough big guys. The Pistons proved that against us last year.”

Thompson averaged 24.9 minutes a game last season, compared with 22.9 for Abdul-Jabbar. In eight games in December when Thompson started in place of the injured Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers went 7-1. In those games, Thompson averaged 13.6 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Overall, Thompson averaged 9.2 points and 5.8 rebounds and led the Lakers by making 55.9% of his shots, but there were games when he did not make the desired impact off the bench. For example, Thompson did not reach double figures in rebounding in any of the Lakers’ last 31 regular-season games. But he did respond in the playoffs, leading Laker reserves in scoring and rebounding.

Now, with added responsibility, Thompson said he will strive to be more consistent.

“Rebounding is my number one priority this year,” Thompson said, “to help A.C. (Green) and James (Worthy) out on the boards.”

Otherwise, Thompson does not foresee a drastic change in his game. Riley, however, said the Lakers will run more now that Abdul-Jabbar is no longer anchored in the low post as the last option on offense.

So far in training camp, Riley has put a greater emphasis on what he terms the club’s “spread” offense, in which the center and power forward begin the plays near midcourt and break down the defense to a two-on-two challenge.

“Kareem was a back-to-the-basket center, and that habit has been ingrained in our offense for 10 years,” Riley said. “We will find out this year how best to utilize the five spot (center) in other ways.

“We’re just going to run like we’ve never run before, with or without Mychal at center. This is a challenge for Mychal: Now, in the twilight of his career, to make a greater impact. He can play 30 minutes (a game). That’s only six more than last season. He can do it.”

Riley said the team is not in a holding pattern at center. He said that since centers are a precious commodity these days and the Lakers are not in an ideal bargaining position, he has to proceed as if Thompson is the heir to Abdul-Jabbar.

“He’s number one on the depth chart,” Riley said. “I think Mychal T. wants this. And I think we can win with him starting.”

Thompson thinks so, too. He says he has the mobility to be a center on a running team where he is not required to burrow himself continually into the low post.

“It’s more of a wide-open game now with us, a combination of the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors,” Thompson said. “A passing game, a lot of movement, a lot of pick and rolls. We’ll rely more now on quickness, agility and overall court awareness. That’s right up our alley. The athletes we have, these guys are all great in the open court. It’s good to take advantage of our skills.

“The center position is overplayed. Sure, it doesn’t hurt to have an Akeem Olajuwon or a Patrick Ewing. But they are the best centers in the league, and how many titles have they won the last five years? It doesn’t hurt to have those guys, but you’ve got to have a whole team, not just a guy in the middle.”

The problem with starting Thompson is that the Lakers figure to miss the boost he often provided off the bench. Thompson said that if Divac, the 21-year-old Yugoslav star, develops quickly, the Laker bench will be strong up front.

“If they use Mark or Vlade behind me, they don’t lose much of anything off the bench,” Thompson said. “I know it doesn’t hurt having me (come off the bench). I know they like the (substitution pattern) they’ve been used to the last three years. That would be nice (again).

“But it looks like anyone who has a decent center doesn’t want to give him up to us. They are blackballing the Lakers, like the Raiders. We’ve had too much success, and teams don’t want to help us stay on top.”

The oldest Laker at 34, Thompson said his goal is to stay in the league another three seasons.

With the prospect of an added workload, Thompson probably will increase his daily dosage of ginseng , the herbal oriental stimulant that he says has restorative powers, as well as stay longer in the weight room.

“I take care of myself,” Thompson said. “I get the proper nourishment. This is my prime. I’m 34, but I really don’t feel my age. I know I don’t act it.”

Thompson’s eventful summer seems to prove that.

First, there was the publicized golf-ball heist at a driving range near Thompson’s home in suburban Portland.

Thompson, an avid golfer, said he stopped by the local course to hit a few, but after purchasing a bucket, he realized he was late for an appointment. Instead of returning the balls, Thompson said he put them in his car with every intention of coming back later to hit them.

The operators of the driving range called the police, but charges were dropped, Thompson said, before the case came to trial.

“It was just a misunderstanding, not a crime,” Thompson said. “Charges were dropped. A lot of golfers do that. If you don’t have time to hit a full bucket of balls, you keep ‘em and come back later. They thought I wouldn’t come back. Mainly, it was overreaction by the golf course.

“It was funny at first, until it made the press. Then, it really ticked me off, because it could ruin your reputation.”

But it only enhanced Thompson’s eccentric reputation. He was kidded by teammates, and public relations director Josh Rosenfeld wrote in the team’s media guide that Thompson has started collecting old golf balls in his spare time.

Maybe to divert attention from the golf ball issue, Thompson arrived in training camp last week with his unusual hair style. Both sides of Thompson’s head have been shaved to the nub, and on top is a strip of full-grown hair stretching from his forehead to the back of the neck. It looks as if Thompson wanted to shave his head, a la Abdul-Jabbar, then changed his mind at the last moment. Either that, or the barber used hedge clippers instead of a razor.

“I’m a trend-setter, an individualist in a team game,” Thompson said, by way of explanation. “It has less wind resistance this way, makes me look younger and feel younger. It’s the new me--a new identity.”

Even without the wolverine look on his head, Thompson may wind up with that new identity as the Lakers’ reluctant starting center.