By MARC BERMAN

NEW ORLEANS – Isiah Thomas was more realistic at this morning’s shootaround in the Big Easy, reality setting in. He acknowledged that a “change’’ had actually taken place, in the hiring of Donnie Walsh as president, as opposed to Wednesday night in Memphis.

Thomas yesterday spent his first full day of the Walsh Era shopping in New Orleans, saying he wanted to do anything to boost this depressed city’s economy. We all know Isiah can spend.

As he’s become a robot the past several weeks, Isiah would not answer a question on how he’s holding up, how his spirits are in the wake of this long road trip that saw all his power stripped. How weird was it, btw, that James Dolan walked out of the press conference after his introductory statement.

The Hornets, owning the West’s best record, are finally selling out the New Orleans Arena, eight of their last 12 games. Tonight is a sell-out, too, with New Orleans fans slow to get the news of the Knicks’ tanking.

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The Fire Isiah Pool is on. Name the date Isiah is fired as coach. They aren’t meeting until the earliest Wednesday as Walsh has gone back to Indiana…Stephon Marbury chimed in on the Walsh hiring, taking his subtle and deserved digs at Isiah, who mucked up the season when he told Marbury in November Mardy Collins was the new starting point guard. Mardy might not be in the league in two years…This is the Knicks’ first trip to New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina but this city’s colorful character hasn’t changed. At the Marriott where I’m staying, a sales convention of 3,000 women representing Slumberparties.com has rented out virtually the entire hotel. The company sells erotic toys and products. Only in New Orleans…MSG Network’s assistant producer of Knick telecasts, Kevin McHale, would’ve rather been at the Garden last night than the Big Easy. His alma-mater, UMass, was playing in the NIT Finals (they lost). Just wanted to correct one thing about McHale, a classmate of Marcus Camby’s. In a Rumble item after the Super Bowl, it was reported he and Howard Singer flew straight from the Knicks’ West Coast trip to Arizona for Patriots-Giants. However, it stated McHale and Singer were long-time Giants fans. McHale hasn’t forgiven me since. The Bostonian is a diehard Pats’ fan…While we’re at it, here’s a bouquet to MSG Network’s telecasts this season and the misperception it sugarcoats the coverage. Not this season. MSG Network, thanks to Spencer Julien and Singer, captured three of the controversial bench incidents on tape – playing it after the fact, repeatedly. Two of the incidents would’ve been unknown to the beat writers if not for MSG Network’s cameras, showing the replays on our monitors. We’re talking about the Quentin screaming match with Isiah, the Zach-Nate water fight and Zach’s run-in with Isiah on the bench. The network gets a bad rap from the TV columnists.