Rasheed Wallace knows the deal. The Knicks really need him now.
With Amar’e Stoudemire laid up again with a bum knee and Marcus Camby not yet ready to practice, Wallace acknowledged the club’s urgency to make him a functioning member of the Knicks. Yesterday, Wallace participated in his first official practice since signing with the team when training camp began.
But he didn’t scrimmage. He even sat out when the Knicks did half-court sets with contact, according to a team official. Wallace will miss tonight’s preseason finale against the Nets at sold-out Nassau Coliseum in the first-ever meeting of New York and Brooklyn. It also marks the prelude to the regular-season opener Nov. 1 at Barclays Center.
“With me getting back and getting acclimated with the game again, I know it’s going to take time,’’ Wallace said. “I know I am not going to go out and play 30-35 minutes when I do start playing, but I’ve just got to work my way into it.”
Will Wallace dress in Brooklyn? It’s the $1.3 million question. The Knicks are a lousy rebounding team with Carmelo Anthony starting at power forward, and the infusion of Wallace and ailing backup center Marcus Camby, both backups, is critical. Camby (calf strain) still hasn’t begun practicing and is a bigger question mark than Wallace, who could even start at power forward against big teams in Stoudemire’s absence.
Wallace labored during the team’s conditioning drills, but should start scrimmaging Friday as he senses the club wants him to play the opener with Stoudemire nursing a ruptured knee cyst that will keep him out at least two to three weeks.
“I feel that desire, like my timetable got moved up [because of Stoudemire’s injury],’’ Wallace said. “But there again, it’s up to Coach [Mike] Woodson. I’m ready when he needs me. Bottom line, the load has increased a lot.’’
“It’s urgency in terms of having bodies on the floor,’’ Woodson said. “It’s not panic mode.’’
The Knicks moved at a snail’s pace in getting Wallace ready, fearing he’d be injured if he came back too soon after missing two seasons. Wallace has worked on conditioning for three weeks on the side, even doing boxing training.
Wallace said only scrimmaging and playing games will get him in game shape.
“It’s like when someone is working out and you’re running on that treadmill every day, but yet, when you get out on that track [for a race], it’s a different conditioning,’’ Wallace said. “It’s the same thing I am doing. I’m doing a lot of solo work, up and down the court. But once I know I’ll get out there and take some elbows, take some shots across the head, it’s a different type of conditioning.”
Woodson, who coaxed Wallace out of retirement, is anxious now. The Knicks had the luxury of time because Wallace’s contract, as The Post reported, doesn’t become guaranteed until Jan. 5.
“We’re going to probably start to experience some contact [Friday], and get some officials in and have a couple of scrimmages and try to test him and see where he is and go from there,” Woodson said. “Today was his first day where he actually ran with the team and did all the conditioning that we do at the top of the practice, and it was nice to see. He got through that. It’s just a matter of time, but when that is, I don’t know yet.”
The Knicks struggled in the second quarter against the Sixers Monday at Syracuse, allowing 36 points. The absences of Wallace and Camby, who could return to practice Friday but is questionable for the opener, are evident. Tonight Woodson said Anthony will start at power forward if the Nets rest burly Kris Humphries.
“He is a great defensive player that understands team defense,’’ Tyson Chandler said of Wallace. “He brings that outside threat, and he is very vocal out there.”
Wallace still showed his 3-point touch during shooting drills.
“That never leaves,’’ Wallace said. “It’s like riding a bike.’’
Additional reporting
by David Satriano