TORONTO — Blame Canada.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson is still struck with wonder over his Italian/Canadian import, Andrea Bargnani, calling the Rome native a “triple threat’’ and installing him as the Knicks’ new starting power forward alongside Carmelo Anthony.
Bargnani’s name is mud in these parts and Friday night, when the Knicks face the Raptors, he will make his first return to AirCanada Centre and will be jeered. Raptors fans and Toronto media made the 2006 No. 1 overall pick the scapegoat for five straight non-playoff seasons, leading to his late-June trade to the Knicks.
“They can boo him all they want now,’’ Raptors coach Dwyane Casey cracked. “He gave seven great years to the organization. [But] fans are fans. He should probably put on ear plugs.’’
Bargnani passed his first Knicks’ test Wednesday in Providence, R.I., where he scored 12 points in 18:56 and made all six of his free throws in a 103-102 victory over the Celtics.
It wasn’t perfect. The enigmatic Bargnani was 3-of-8, missing all three of his 3-point attempts, committed an early charge and perhaps drove to the basket too much instead of firing away at open looks.
“I like everything about him,’’ Woodson said. “That was the reason we brought him over. I think he’s just a talented kid who knows how to play. I’ve got to keep his spirits up and pat him when he needs to be patted and ride his [butt] when it needs to be rode.’’
Paired with Anthony, Woodson liked how the big front line looked. “The spacing was really good with him,’’ Woodson said. “When you swing it, he’s a guy who can make shots. He missed some good looks. But he’s a guy that can put it down [on the floor] and cause problems, getting all the way to the rim and pulling up with the mid-range shot. I think it’s going to work.’’
So why didn’t it work out in Canada?
“I’m not even going to go there,’’ Woodson said. “I don’t criticize coaches or organizations. I see a player, I think, fits in [the] scheme of things I do. It’s not about that team anymore. It’s about getting him acclimated to what we’re doing. I think he’ll be just fine.’’
Woodson even praised his defensive rotations. He’ll save the criticism of Bargnani for Torontonians who felt he was injury-prone, distant with non-European teammates and not a winner.
“I didn’t get out of him what we were hoping for,’’ said Casey, who coached Bargnani for two seasons. “We wanted him to be Dirk [Nowitzki]-like. … I thought he needed a fresh start for himself, personally.”
The Knicks practiced Thursday at Ryerson University, where Bargnani worked out during the lockout. He still owns a place in Toronto and has rented it out.
“I move quick,’’ Bargnani said with a smile.
As Bargnani spoke to reporters, Anthony walked behind him, singing, “Welcome back,’’ to the tune of “Welcome Back Kotter.’’ It was an indication of how the two have meshed on and off the court.
Anthony has spoken to Bargnani about using less of his trademark pump-fake and firing up his open looks.
“For me, it was about trying to get Bargnani going early in the game, help him figure out his game,” Anthony said. “When we’re playing on the same side of the floor, you’re going to be wide open. I was talking to him about it [Thursday].
“A lot of times he won’t need [the fake]. He’ll be so wide open. He’s learning. He might want to put the pump-fake in the pocket for a little [while].’’
Bargnani seems to appreciate Anthony’s efforts to communicate.
“We’ve been talking about a lot of different things, not just the pump- fake,’’ Bargnani said. “We’re trying to find the right chemistry. It’s pretty good. [Wednesday] was just the first game. We worked a lot in practice finding each other. It’s a process. It’s not going to take long. But it’s going to take a little time to make the game fluid and smooth.’’
Bargnani was matter-of-fact on the subject of his Toronto return.
“Of course it’s strange coming to Toronto,’’ Bargnani said. “I played here seven years. It’s a long time. I definitely feel like a New York Knick. But I played seven years in Toronto. So it’s a weird feeling coming into [Friday].’’
There’s nothing weird about it for Woodson.
“The beauty of Bargnani is he’s going to find out he’s going to have a lot of wide-open threes the way we play,’’ Woodson said. “He can make threes, put the ball on the floor and he can post up. He’s a triple threat in terms of scoring the ball.’’