Douglas' shoulder healthy after rehab on LI

Toney Douglas sees opportunity, not competition, with the arrival of rookie Iman Shumpert.

"I played against him when he was a freshman," Douglas said, "and I always said to myself that he was going to be a really good player, even as a freshman."

There is a lot about Shumpert's game that Douglas can appreciate, especially on the other side of the ball, which is an area the Knicks desperately need to improve this season. Both Douglas (Florida State) and Shumpert (Georgia Tech) have ACC Defensive Player of the Year hardware in their trophy cases, which has Douglas eager to pair up with his new teammate in the Knicks' backcourt.

"Me and him talk all the time about making it difficult in the backcourt because we're very athletic and defensive-minded players," Douglas said last week. "It's going to be great working with him and I'm looking forward to helping him in every type of way."

Heading into his third NBA season, Douglas can be a mentor for Shumpert, but he still has more growing to do himself. The 6-2 combo guard has shown flashes of brilliance as a scorer and defender mixed with stretches of confusion while running coach Mike D'Antoni's offense. But one undeniable element he possesses is toughness, evidenced by how he played through the pain of a torn labrum in his right shoulder through the entire 2010-11 season.

Just days after the Knicks were swept by the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, Douglas got the long-awaited surgery to repair the issue. A four-month rehabilitation awaited, which meant he might have been one of the few players who welcomed the extra down time afforded by the lockout.

"I wanted to hurry up and get that done," he said, "in case there wasn't a lockout."

With the Knicks' facility and medical staff off limits as a result of the lockout, Douglas went to Garden City's Professional Athletic Performance Center for his rehab and conditioning. He raved about the results he got from working with renowned physical therapist and strength coach Robert Panariello.

"I have to give thanks to Rob," Douglas said. "He really helped me with my conditioning and weight lifting. I had a lot of time on my hands."

Douglas, who is listed at 190 pounds, has noticeably bulked up and said he weighs about 205 pounds right now. He has been bigger -- as much as 215 pounds in past offseasons -- but he's carrying it a lot more in his shoulders. And that's by design.

"To make sure this shoulder is real strong, so I don't have no problem with it going through picks and diving on the floor, stuff like that," he said. "I'm real comfortable with it."