Isiah Thomas is having a better first year as a Garden team president with the Liberty than Phil Jackson did with the Knicks.
Thomas, whose May 6 hiring was met with reams of controversy, has unruined the Liberty, who possess the Eastern Conference’s best record at 12-6 — their best start since 2001.
The Liberty, who staged a recent five-game 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 three of its four 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 close-knit group, and I think that shows on the court. It is great to have had so much early-season 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 (15-19, 11-23). 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.The onus and pressure is on us to perform. That’s good for us. We’re thriving in that environment. We know people are watching us and we’re performing like we’re supposed to.’’
Part of the flagging interest was the Liberty being bounced from the Garden during the three-year transformation.
“I didn’t see [Dolan] for two years,’’ Laimbeer said. “It wasn’t on his radar. It had been a long time the Liberty had won anything. I understand it to a point. We had to make ourselves relevant. He made us relevant by the move he made with Isiah. Now we’ve made ourselves relevant by our performance on the court.’’
Garden attendance hasn’t increased since Isiah’s arrival — averaging the same 8,900 through eight home games. But that could rise if the Liberty become playoff forces into late September.
“Basketball is in his passion and it’s pointed at the Liberty,’’ Laimbeer said. He’s in with his two feet. He watches all the games, comes to all games at home, chats on the phone with me, goes to coaches meetings sometimes, helps with sponsors, tickets sales. This is his business.’’
The Isiah issue can still be toxic. Jackson has stated Knicks general manager Steve Mills — not Thomas — is his heir apparent. But the harassment-trial link isn’t as easily dismissed. Even Hammon, who coached the Spurs summer league team to the title in July, wouldn’t comment in Las Vegas on Thomas’ hire, fearing whatever answer she gave would be picked apart.
Thomas pushed to draft Cal point guard Brittany Boyd, and has helped her become a key contributor on one of the league’ s most potent benches.
“He’s showed her court awareness, how to read the defense,’’ Laimbeer said of Thomas role in Boyd’s development. “He’s educated her on how a point guard in pro basketball needs to operate.”