Lakers at Square One

A large and curious crowd came to see the triangle, although the triangle was visible only in faint outlines, a mostly subliminal suggestion of what might be and what is still only being formulated.

An estimated crowd of 4,000 witnessed something on Friday at the Long Beach Pyramid that wasn’t quite the official unveiling of Phil Jackson and his new system for the Lakers.

The Lakers’ Fila Summer Pro League opener was more like an early rehearsal preview, lacking the above-the-title stars and the precision but not the energy of a big-time production.

Or the box office.

“I haven’t seen this many people here for an opener probably ever,” said Laker part-owner Magic Johnson during the first quarter, with fans still entering the arena for what would turn out to be the largest summer league crowd since Kobe Bryant’s L.A. debut in 1997.

“We play again tomorrow night. But you watch, on Sunday and Monday when we don’t play, there won’t be close to this many here.

“People are excited. This is a Laker town again.

“People want to see us, see what we’re doing.”

Jackson himself sat two rows up from the Laker bench and soaked up the errant passes, frequent fouls and occasional bursts of triple-post efficiency.

Laker assistant Jim Cleamons ran the show, grimaced at the worst moments, and encouraged Travis Knight, Sam Jacobson, Ruben Patterson, draft picks Devean George and John Celestand and all the other rookies and free agents in the game against the Portland Trail Blazers’ even-lesser-recognized summer team.

The Lakers won, 77-75, with Jacobson scoring a team-high 18 points.

In another sign that something fairly interesting was happening, 11 Laker officials or staffers were scattered throughout the arena, including Jerry West, Mitch Kupchak, Johnson, Bill Sharman, and the entire training staff.

“It’s a sign of support,” Johnson said. “We come every year to the summer league, but this year it’s even more.

“This is to support Phil and Jim Cleamons and everything.”

Earlier in the day, the Lakers agreed to a multiyear deal with Frank Hamblen, 52, who has been an assistant with the Chicago Bulls for the last three seasons, including two title-winning campaigns with Jackson.

There is one vacancy left on Jackson’s staff, awaiting the decision of longtime Bull assistant Tex Winter.

Meanwhile, on Friday night, traces of the famous triangle offense were at times evident--quick passes into and out of the post, cutting hard and reversing the ball cleanly.

But still, it was an early summer league game, with all the early summer league reaching and grabbing and dropping and bobbling.

Jackson was visibly amused by some of the action, and Cleamons was vocal throughout.

“My job is to lead them,” Cleamons said before the game. “So sometimes I’ll have to let them fail to get their attention.

“Other times, I’m their most important cheerleader. That’s the chemistry and the bonding that’ll have to take place this summer. . . .

“Oftentimes, I’ll probably look out there and I’ll probably scratch my head, too, saying, ‘What the hell’s going on?’

“But as we go along, we have to be patient, and that’s part of my job, to bring them around, don’t get them discouraged, to be actively involved in encouraging them to continue to grow, to play together.”

Before the game, Knight, a three-year NBA veteran, said that he could envision Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant and the other Laker starters adapting to the triangle system, which emphasizes total team play and utilizes few set plays.

“Yeah, they’re going to have to open their minds,” Knight said. “It’s going to take a while to adjust to it.

“I mean, I’m having a hard time adjusting to it now. . . .

“But everybody on our team is smart, everybody on our team knows how to play basketball, everybody has skills. And I think it’ll work.”