Distractions Worry Harris

Five days after ripping his players for a lack of intensity and concentration in exhibition games and training camp, Coach Del Harris was sounding more upbeat Wednesday about the Lakers’ approach heading into the season opener Friday.

“We did better,” Harris said of the recent practices. “Was it perfect? No.”

Contributing to the problem, he said, is the hectic schedule that includes not only the workouts, but off-court obligations such as Tuesday’s luncheon to honor the team, which then led to a sluggish late-afternoon practice. Tonight, most players will be at the Forum from 6-8 as the Lakers host a Halloween open house for kids.

“There’s a lot of distractions,” Harris said. “and trying to keep everybody focused is going to be a constant problem.”

*

The Orlando Magic had its say with a top NBA official Wednesday, then decided it would have nothing more to say about the Lakers’ signing of Shaquille O’Neal, dropping the tampering investigation after nearly three months. But team officials didn’t seem to drop the notion in their own minds.

“I think there will always be an opinion by the Orlando Magic as to how the deal went together that we will not comment on,” Magic President Bob Vander Weide said after a 45-minute meeting with Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik in New York. “Since we kind of said our piece . . . we want to move forward. There will always be an opinion, but it’s best kept private.”

Vander Weide said the Magic will give the league a written report on their findings, a “summary of issues” that includes circumstantial evidence that the law firm in Cleveland heading the probe claims to have uncovered. The NBA is not expected to act.

*

Harris, deciding against letting players pick the team captains, named three himself: Nick Van Exel, Byron Scott and O’Neal--something leftover, something old and something new. “Because that’s what I wanted to do,” Harris said. “Because I’m coach.” . . . Walt Hazzard, scout and special administrative assistant, attended Tuesday’s practice at the Forum, his first since suffering a near-fatal stroke in March.