Douglas sees Knicks making playoffs

Toney Douglas only could laugh when two of the first three questions from young kids at a Knicks youth camp in the Hamptons were on his thoughts on LeBron James choosing Miami over the Knicks.

Douglas said he only can control what he can control. What he should have said is he can't wait to meet James in the playoffs. Because Douglas, the Knicks' backup point guard, said he thinks his team is going to break its six-year playoff drought.

"Definitely," Douglas told The Post yesterday at Hayground School in Bridgehampton. "I feel like we have a lot of talent. We just all have to be on one page and make sure everybody is totally on it. I feel we are a playoff team."

The coaching staff will tell you nobody has worked harder than Douglas this offseason. The second-year Florida State product has done two-a-days at their Westchester compound since the beginning of May -- save for a two-week break in July.

Douglas, the Knicks' most tenacious defender, said one of the reasons he has worked so hard is he wants to be a leader this season. There were none during last season's 29-53 campaign.

"I had an OK rookie year, but this year I want to be more vocal and be one of the leaders on the court," Douglas said. "At the same time, you can't be a leader if you don't hold up your end of the bargain. If people are slacking, I'll tell them. If I'm slacking, I want them to tell me."

Douglas is now working out with Danilo Gallinari, who spent almost all of the offseason in Italy, Wilson Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, Anthony Randolph and Rony Turiaf.