Mike Brown knows that this will all be a process for the Knicks.
It’ll take time for everything to mesh together — from the new-look offense to the rotation and everything in between — and stretch into the season.
They need to hit adversity, too, to know if the standards he has implemented work, he said.
“It’s not gonna happen Game 1, Game 2 — we’re not gonna come out, could we come out blazing? Yeah, who knows,” Brown said after the Knicks practiced Wednesday. “We’re gonna have our highs. We’re gonna have our lows. Can’t get too high if it’s going good. Can’t get too low if it’s not.
“We gotta stay even-keeled and know that this is a marathon and not a sprint, at the end of the day.”
Brown’s answer occurred after fielding a question about Josh Hart, who hasn’t played in a preseason game since exiting the opener in Abu Dhabi with a back injury.
He has continued doing more on-court work and started shooting, a Knicks spokesperson said Wednesday, but Brown wasn’t certain if Hart would be available for the Knicks’ preseason finale Friday against the Hornets.
Hart’s lingering injury has become just the latest variable for the Knicks to adjust to.
Brown said last week that they hadn’t installed any plays yet, as he’s encouraging his players — for now — to execute a read-and-react system during exhibitions that reflects the desired tempo and pace.
Malcolm Brogdon, slated to be the Knicks’ backup point guard, suddenly retired Wednesday, too.
But OG Anunoby said the Knicks just want to “peak toward the end [of the regular season] and into the playoffs.”
There might be growing pains along the way.
Might be a learning curve — evident during their preseason games — that extends into the Oct. 22 opener against the Cavaliers and beyond.
But eventually, the Knicks are banking on everything blending together, even if it takes longer than expected, given the returning rotation pieces and lofty expectations.
“Of course, you always want to win 50 games straight,” Anunoby said, “but also you realize it’s a long season, so you’d rather learn and grow — especially early in the year — and figure stuff out.”
Brown has been encouraging Anunoby — who took a major stride last season as a scorer, averaging 18.0 points per game (a career high) — to “get out and run” in the offense, which would allow him to attack defenses with 3-pointers and drives to the basket.
Anunoby said the next step for him offensively revolves around “knowing what to do when” when it comes to shooting, passing and driving.
The Knicks released their statement edition jersey for the season Wednesday, something they’ll wear 12 times beginning Nov. 14 against the Heat. It’s a black jersey — with the name in orange lettering and blue trim — accompanied by the Jordan logo that also features blue and orange paneling on the side, resembling “the lights on The Garden, a reflection of the city’s energy that bolsters the team,” according to the team website.
They’ll also wear the jerseys Nov. 28, Dec. 2, Dec. 5, Dec. 19, Jan. 27, Jan. 30, Feb. 10, March 17, March 24, April 3 and April 10 — with all of those, except for Dec. 2 against the Celtics, being home games.
