Knicks still have ‘a lot of work to do’ with new-look lineup

Patience is going to be required.

The new-look Knicks are going to need time to develop cohesion.

Unlike last year at this time, when they returned their entire starting five and had only one major addition in Donte DiVincenzo, so much is new.

Two new starters in Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.

New bench pieces in Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet and rookie Tyler Kolek.

New rotations for coach Tom Thibodeau.

It was evident in the Knicks’ preseason opener against the Hornets on Sunday night in Charlotte, N.C.

“First game, some good, some bad,” Thibodeau said. “Obviously, we have a lot of work to do. I figured it would be a little choppy. There are a lot of areas we need to clean up. But there were some good things as well.”

Talent shouldn’t be a problem.

The Knicks are loaded and are considered one of the league’s preseason favorites, right behind the defending champion Celtics.

In the same vein, a major part of their success the past two seasons had to do with chemistry and experience, a group of young players growing together.

That’s no longer the case.

Bridges and Towns arrive as difference-makers.

While Bridges is very familiar with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart going back to their days as college teammates at Villanova, this is obviously different.

It was part of the reason Thibodeau played all of his starters in the team’s first exhibition game.

They have to get used to one another.

“They need time, obviously,” the coach said. “We just wanted them to get their feet wet. That being said, the opener’s right around the corner. We got work to do, and we got to get to it.”

The biggest bright spot from the narrow win over the Hornets actually may have been the second unit.

Players like Shamet, Payne, Kolek, Precious Achiuwa, Miles McBride and Jericho Sims all contributed.

Coming off a breakout season, McBride scored a game-high 22 points and Shamet, signed to a one-year deal in mid-September, added 16 points.

That group doesn’t even include center Mitchell Robinson, who will miss the first part of the regular season due to ankle surgery.

“We got a lot of guys that can hoop,” Bridges said. “Even when we were playing pickup in training camp, you can just see the talent out there. We got a lot of guys who can play, not just get some minutes, but can all play. It’s obviously a great problem to have. Thank God I’m not the coach, and have to figure out the minutes situation. That would be tough.”

It was a promising start for that group.

Of the utmost importance, of course, are the starters getting on the same page.

Bridges believes the process will be sped up by how close so many Knicks are off the court.

The former Nets star was encouraged by the ball movement on Sunday, even if it didn’t always lead to made baskets.

“I think being able to move the ball and play the right way, we have guys who can do pretty much everything,” he said. “Figuring that out and figuring it out defensively as well, as much as we think about scoring, we have to defend as well. We have to be able to do it on both ends and learn pretty quick.”

As Thibodeau referenced, they don’t have a lot of time.

The regular season is only two weeks away.