Team: Thomas has Libs on right track
Isiah Thomas is having a better first year as a Garden president than embattled Knicks team president Phil Jackson.
Thomas, whose May 6 hiring was met with reams of controversy, has unruined the Liberty, who possess the Eastern Conference’s best record at 126 — their best start since 2001.
The Liberty, who staged a recent fivegame winning streak, host Seattle on Sunday at the Garden on Becky Hammon Day. She will be inducted into the “Ring of Honor.’’
Past the season’s halfway mark, Thomas has tried to repair his image after sinking the Knicks. Hammon, the Spurs assistant coach, played here during the glory days — when the franchise made all three of their Finals appearances (1999, 2000, 2002).
Thomas, the former Knicks president and coach, has kept a low profile with the media, fearing journalists will ask him about the Knicks, or his involvement in the Garden’s 2007 sexual harassment trial. Thomas hasn’t commented on the WNBA’s decision to postpone his ownership bid until after the season.
In a statement to The Post, Thomas said of the Liberty’s resurgence: “I’m happy with the way our team is playing. Our team has incredible chemistry, it is a very closeknit group, and I think that shows on the court. It is great to have had so much earlyseason success, but there are a lot of games left and I know Coach [Bill] Laimbeer, his staff, and the team are focused on improving every day.’’
So is there anything to the Isiah Effect? Secretly, behind the scenes last fall, Isiah saved former “Bad Boy’’ teammate Laimbeer’s job after two straight losing seasons (1519, 1123). For nebulous reasons, Laimbeer, who had won three WNBA titles, was let go last October. Thomas brought back the WNBA’s most decorated coach.
Laimbeer said he believes Thomas has increased the team’s urgency by putting the franchise in the limelight and under scrutiny by Garden executives. Owner James Dolan, who had mulled selling because the team loses money, has attended four games.
“It’s just Isiah’s presence with the franchise,’’ Laimbeer told The Post. “He is engaged with the Liberty. You can’t underestimate what that has done for our players. The last couple of years the front office was something out of the blue. Now everybody knows the Liberty is here.’’