Cablevision chairman James Dolan could take the witness stand as early as Wednesday when the Garden is expected to begin its defense against Anucha Browne Sanders' allegations of sexual harassment, according to the New York Daily News.

Browne Sanders is suing, claiming the Knicks fired her as marketing vice president in January 2006 in retaliation for her daring to hire a lawyer to pursue sexual-harassment charges against Thomas.

A key question for jurors will be whether Dolan could no longer be expected to employ an executive who was trying to get co-workers to bolster her case - as Garden attorneys claim.

Or was she fired because Dolan thought Browne Sanders - whom he had only months before handed a $76,000 bonus - was an incompetent in budget meetings who struggled with the simplest profit-and-loss statements?

Either way, experts say, Dolan's biggest challenge is to be seen as a credible witness, because the most powerful part of Browne Sanders' case is her retaliation claim.