WASHINGTON — Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t stressing his slow start from deep.

The All-Star Knicks center, known for his ability to stretch the floor, has struggled from beyond the arc in his first three preseason games, shooting just 4 of 18 to begin his career in New York.

Still, Towns remains focused on the bigger picture, confident that his shot will fall when it counts.

“Just nothing — shots, they just haven’t fallen, and that’s OK,” Towns said after practice at Georgetown University’s McDonough Gymnasium on Friday. “So I’m gonna keep shooting them. I’m gonna keep doing what I do best, and help my team win. Even though three-point shots haven’t fallen, we’re 4-0 in the preseason. That’s really all that matters.”

Towns’ track record speaks for itself.

With seven seasons of 100 or more made 3s, including winning the 2022 NBA Three-Point Contest — the first center to ever win the All-Star event — the Knicks aren’t sweating his early slump, either.

They know it’s only a matter of time before Towns starts hitting from deep. Right now, the focus is on something much bigger: building chemistry.

As the Knicks prepare for their season opener against the defending champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday, they are focused on more than just their shooting percentages.

The Celtics are viewed as the team to beat in the East, but Towns — who comes to New York fresh off of a Western Conference finals appearance with the Minnesota Timberwolves — emphasized that the Knicks are more concerned with developing their own identity than getting caught up in matchups against specific contenders.

“For us in Minnesota, I thought we was just building ourselves to be able to win a championship,” Towns explained. “So for us here, I mean, we can’t just be worried about one team. You know, we got to be worried about the whole Eastern Conference. For us to accomplish what we want to do and what the city is yearning for us to do, we need to be a team not just that beats Boston, but finds a way to beat every team in the East. So limiting ourselves and boxing ourselves into just a philosophy of beating one team is not going to get the job done.”

It’s a mindset built on understanding that winning a championship means being prepared for any and every challenge. The Knicks are striving to become more than just a team built to compete with Boston. They’re aiming to be a team that can take down every contender in the East.

But chemistry takes time.

With the addition of Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby — two elite 3-and-D wings — the Knicks are working hard to create an identity that revolves around both ends of the floor.

“Offensively and defensively, just figuring each other out,” Anunoby said on Friday. “The plays, we’re putting in more plays in the playbook. So guys are getting more used to stuff. Defensively, we’re more connected. Talking about the switches, knowing the coverages. It’s still early, so we’re just going to keep getting better and better.”

Anunoby has a head start, having been traded to New York midseason last year. But for Towns, who has been thrust into a brand-new system, there is a learning curve.

“Every year you’re gonna have change. That’s sort of the nature of the NBA: trades, free agency, draft picks, there’s always change, and then you deal with injuries during the course of the season,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said after practice on Wednesday. “So it’s how quickly can you adapt? So the most important thing is to find a way to win. You can’t get here without being very talented, but every one of your opponents is also very talented. So it’s your commitment to play together, to play hard, play smart, and to play for each other, and if you do that, you’ll have a chance to win.”

The Knicks are racing against the clock to create synergy between their new core players, particularly with the Celtics waiting on the horizon.

The Celtics, by contrast, boast continuity.

Boston’s championship roster includes stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who have played together since 2017, as well as veterans like Al Horford and Derrick White, who have solidified their roles over the years.

The Celtics’ familiarity with each other makes them formidable, especially when paired with the addition of Jrue Holiday, a disruptive All-Defensive Team guard.

Still, New York has its own unique advantage in All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, whose leadership and scoring abilities give the Knicks an edge in the backcourt.

Brunson averaged 28.7 points per game last season. Josh Hart rounds out the starting five as the glue holding the unit together.

“It’s a totally new team. So we’re focused on getting better,” Hart said. “We’re not going to pick up being one game away from the Eastern Conference finals. We’ve got to demonstrate toughness, discipline, willingness to execute, willingness to sacrifice. It’s going to be a process of showing that, but we’ve got to make sure we go out there every day and have that mentality.”

As the Knicks continue through preseason, they remain committed to building the chemistry and trust needed to compete for a championship.

Towns knows his shots will start falling, but more importantly, he knows the team is coming together.

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