New York Knicks coach Mike Brown has described the team's current struggles with chemistry as akin to "climbing a mountain," emphasizing that even a championship-winning group must rebuild cohesion from the ground up each season.

"You're starting all over," Brown stated after practice Sunday. "It's like climbing a mountain. We climb the mountain as a team and we conquer the mountain, then you gotta come back down, take some time off, then you gotta climb another mountain. It’s the same thing. And when you climb that mountain the second time, you’re starting from base camp again. And if you skip steps doing that, you’re going to die."

The Knicks, who enjoyed exceptional chemistry during their championship run, have started the current season with a 2-4 record. This early-season performance has led to a disjointed offensive game, characterized by excessive turnovers, isolation plays, and a lack of synergistic play.

Player Mikal Bridges acknowledged the challenge, noting the significant time gap since their last game together. "Last time we played was in June," Bridges said. "I think [we were] probably the most polished as a team we were at the end of the year, as we should be. So, I know it's tough to see last time we played to the beginning of the year, and obviously we should be better than we are, me personally. But it takes time and just not skipping steps and just kinda going through the process and keep learning, get back in that rhythm."

Brown drew parallels to the previous season when the Knicks also started 2-3. The offense was a persistent work in progress for much of the regular season, with player involvement and shot selection often being points of discussion. The team eventually found its rhythm and played its best basketball when it mattered most.

"If we don’t go through our growing pains and we can’t get through our growing pains, for whatever reason... if we can’t get through our growing pains, we have no chance," Brown added. "It’s like anything you do in life. When you complete something and you have to do it again, you’re not just starting right here [at the top] when you do it again. You’re starting here [at the bottom] and you’re building up."

He stressed that navigating these early-season difficulties is a necessary part of the process for the team to ultimately achieve success again.