It’s what you expect to hear, but the words were troubling nonetheless. It’s beginning to sound too familiar even for this time of year. Yes, it’s still the preseason, a time to experiment with lineups and find a working formula before the start of the regular season.

But if you listened to Knicks head coach David Fizdale on Wednesday night, it’s going to take some time before the team figures out how to blend the nine new players into a roster that already had enough uncertainty.

“It’s obviously going to be ups and down,” Fizdale said before the Hawks beat the Knicks 100-96 at the Garden. “It will take us time to really click and have cohesion. The thing I like is we have a worker’s group, a bunch of unselfish guys who really want to get this thing together quickly. I feel like every day we put in gets us closer to doing that.”

Don’t expect anything to happen quickly, not with so many new faces and unsettled positions, especially at point guard. The Knicks enter yet another season looking for some stability at basketball’s quarterback position.

If Wednesday night’s game is any indication, finding a consistent starter isn’t going to happen anytime soon. Whether it’s Dennis Smith Jr., — who looked rusty Wednesday in his first preseason appearance — the offensively challenged but defensively gifted Frank Ntilikina, or Elfrid Payton — the potential front-runner for the opening-night job who got the night off — it eventually will work itself out.

Until then the Knicks will have to win games the old-fashioned way, according to forward Julius Randle.

“We’ve got to win games with energy and effort and out-hustling teams,” he said. “Then when we get in the last four minutes, we have to execute down the stretch.”

They didn’t play well in the final minutes of this one, letting the Hawks escape with a win after the Knicks had rallied from nine down to tie the score 91-91 with 4:57 to go.

“We have to clean that up,” Randle said.

If the point-guard situation remains murky, the Knicks’ front court is intriguing. Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis and Randle started and combined for 50 points and 21 rebounds. Randle had 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while Portis had 16 points and Morris scored 14. While the scoring was decent, the Knicks were outrebounded by the Hawks, 58-44, with Atlanta getting 16 rebounds on the offensive end.

“I like what came from that lineup,” Randle said. “I like the rhythm and the flow and how we played. It’s kind of pick-your-poison. Guys are going to compete.”

The Knicks competed Wednesday when they could have quit. They trailed 89-80 with eight minutes remaining, but didn’t give up, outscoring the Hawks 11-2 to tie the game.

“We took a step forward today,” Randle said. “There were some technique things we have to do better: offensive rebounds, too many fouls and we have to finish better.”

The final preseason game is Friday at the Garden against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. The regular-season opener is Wednesday at San Antonio. It will probably take a lot longer for the Knicks to figure out who they are and what they have. That doesn’t mean that can’t win.

“We should be firing on all cylinders on the defensive end when the season starts,” Randle said. “We’ve got a scheme that we want to play. The offense will take care of itself. Right now, we’ve got to bring energy and effort every game.”

At least the Knicks have pieces. Randle could be a force, Morris will have his moments and rookie RJ Barrett, the third-overall pick this year, should get better as the season progresses. Fizdale has to figure out a winning formula in the backcourt, which will likely take a combination of players. But to win, the Knicks will need old-fashioned principles: energy and effort.