TORONTO — Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina, a legend in Italy, got a chance to coach the next great European stud Friday night for the World Team in the Rising Stars Challenge.
After watching 7-foot-3 rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis drain 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting and 5-of-8 from the 3-point line, Messina would like to see the Knicks coaching staff develop his perimeter game and resist the urge to make him a back-to-the-basket center.
Messina said he feels Porzingis can be more transcendent in that manner and lift the NBA’s entertainment value.
In fact, during practice Friday, Messina had told Porzingis, who plays power forward and center for the Knicks, he would try to play him some at shooting guard and small forward.
Messina, who joined the Spurs last season, made a reference Porzingis could turn into a taller Toni Kukoc.
“His coaches know for sure better than me,’’ Messina said. “Just talking like a fan that is watching TV or like an opposing coach scouting that team to prepare, he can shoot the 3. He can go to the rim. He’s got a lot of [confidence] in my opinion in his game. And Toni probably at his age was a better blender. He could do more things off the dribble.
“I would — for the love of the game — I would love to see him improving that part of the game, but probably Coach [Kurt] Rambis and his staff, they disagree because of course they would like to see him maybe more close to the basket,’’ Messina said. “I don’t know. I have no idea what the plans are. I’m just talking like a fan, lover of the game.’’
While working with the Spurs last season, Messina was kept abreast of Porzingis, though San Antonio had a late draft pick.
“I was quite exposed because I knew pretty well coach Scott Roth that coached him in Sevilla in Spain, and we were in contact,’’ Messina said. “We talked during the year, and he was telling me how much this kid was progressing. But for sure his adjustment to the NBA has been pretty impressive. I think everybody’s absolutely believing that he’ll be a great, great player in this league.’’
Porzingis left for a tropical location Saturday, when temperatures dipped in Toronto below zero. Whether Porzingis will play internationally this summer is a mystery. Latvia plays in an Olympic qualifier in Serbia in July. The Post reported he hadn’t decided, but Porzingis sounds like is leaning toward staying with the Knicks coaching staff.
“It’s unbelievable the support I’m getting back home,’’ Porzingis said. “I want to make my country proud. I want to play on the national team obviously in the future. I got to make the right decision for me now.”
Porzingis is hoping for a respite to regain his juice, as even team president Phil Jackson noticed he had declined in energy.
“Kristaps is one of the guys that I think was fatigued during the season,’’ Jackson said earlier this week. “I think it really stopped getting a push out of his game. He ended up taking shots that weren’t good shots, but shots that were open but they weren’t good attempts. We tried to get him back to doing the right things with his feet and getting the right shots.’’
One area of improvement Porzingis hopes to make after the break is being more productive late in the fourth quarters, but admitted only to a degree.
“I want to be more effective in the fourth quarter obviously,’’ Porzingis said. “I don’t want to force it or take over the game because we have Melo. And he’s the guy to go to in the last quarter and last few minutes. But I have to stay ready, when I get the ball have to score. I want to be more effective but don’t want to do too much.’’