Johnson Likes What He Sees So Far

Magic Johnson showed up Friday at training camp, wearing a tank top and sweats, looking ready to work.

Yet another addition to the Laker coaching staff? Not quite.

“I like my seat right here,” said Johnson, sitting comfortably in a chair on the baseline.

A vice president and minority owner of the Lakers, Johnson seemed in better spirits than he was at times last season, when the Lakers plummeted to 11th in the Western Conference and prompted Johnson to acknowledge, “We don’t want another year like this ever again.”

Friday, Johnson expressed optimism for a better defensive team and downplayed the possibility of conflict between Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers were 27th in the league in points allowed last season, surrendering an average of 101.7 a game. Defense, trivial at training camp last year under Rudy Tomjanovich, is now a central concept.

“Phil Jackson, that’s all he worked on,” Johnson said. “ ... It’s just great to see him back, implementing his defense, which we didn’t play none of last year.”

As for the offense, Johnson concurred with the prevailing thought that Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown are key to a return to the playoffs.

“We’ve got the best triangle player in Kobe Bryant,” Johnson said. “I already know he’s going to have a monster year. I think it’s going to help Lamar, seeing Lamar today. He was awesome. I think Phil’s really going to bring out the best in Lamar.

“I’m not worried about Kobe. I’m worried about whether Lamar and Kwame Brown ... those are the two guys. Everybody’s sitting there, ‘Phil and Kobe.’ Forget about it. They’re going to be fine. What I’m concerned about is Lamar, who I think can have a great season, and whether Kwame Brown can give us 12 [points] and nine [rebounds]. If he’s able to do that, then watch out.”

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After Friday’s practice, Bryant served as witness to a naval re-enlistment ceremony for chief yeoman Lawrence “Lonnie” Sivils at the University of Hawaii.

Sivils, a 19-year member of the navy, sent the Lakers an e-mail last month requesting Bryant’s presence at the ceremony where he would officially sign up for three more years of duty. Bryant agreed.

“You’re talking about defending the country,” Bryant said. “It was a blessing and an honor.”

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Center Andrew Bynum sustained an abdominal strain and is considered day-to-day. ... Jackson on Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, hired last month as a special assistant after years on the NBA’s outer fringes: “Kareem had the reputation of being a little thin, a guy that wasn’t all that friendly, cool demeanor. I found him very explanatory, very willing to sit down and talk to people, very appropriately conversational with the players at a level they can understand.”