WASHINGTON — Rasheed Wallace’s surgery in which a screw was inserted into his left foot Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery was done with his goal of returning sometime during the playoffs.
Wallace could have just called it a career, placed a cast on the foot for 12 weeks and been done with basketball. According to a source, he contemplated that possibility the last several days.
The Knicks, however, announced an eight-week timetable that could put him back on the court in the middle of the first round. But one leading medical expert said Wallace will not be at 100 percent healed after just eight weeks from surgery to repair a Jones fracture of his fifth metatarsal.
Dr. Anish Kadakia, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Northwestern University who specializes in Jones fractures, told The Post Wallace could be running in six weeks. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t be 100 percent for 12 weeks.
“After eight weeks, he’ll probably be 90 percent,’’ Dr. Kadakia said. “One hundred percent after eight weeks is not possible and it is a higher risk of failing. But these guys have everything under the sun [to rehab] but speed and jumping is compromised if it’s just eight weeks.’’
Dr. Kadakia has not treated Wallace, but is basing the injury on reports Wallace had a stress reaction before turning into a fracture.
“It is six to eight weeks for an athlete when there’s money riding on it,’’ Dr. Kadakia said. “You can let them go back and play if it’s important like the playoffs. The screw is big enough and strong enough to tolerate the stress you put on it. Those fractures do very poorly without surgery.’’
The Knicks are hopeful Wallace can come back because he’s only needed for about 12 minutes a night. If backup center Marcus Camby can’t stay healthy and Kenyon Martin is a bust, Wallace could be a help deep in the second round.
“It’s very disappointing,’’ Tyson Chandler said. “Rasheed has meant so much to us. He’s a big-time locker room guy. Obviously the time he was on court he was incredible for us defensively. We’ve got to give him a shot to be able to come back. We have to continue to win. Get in the playoffs, go on a nice streak and give him opportunity for another shot.’’
* The Knicks didn’t practice, but coach Mike Woodson has said Camby could make his return from a strained plantar fascia tonight. He’s been out since Jan. 10.
After his Knicks debut Wednesday against the Warriors, Martin said he still needs to prove he deserves another contract after the 10-day expires next week.
“It’s tough for [Rasheed] but it doesn’t mean I’m going to stay past my 10-day contract,’’ Martin said. “To say it’s good news for me, I don’t want to benefit off that. I want my play to be the reason I stay.’’
Martin played 4:48 and didn’t take a shot or get a rebound but was active on switches. He got a big hand when entering.
“It’s a good start,’’ Martin said. “My defense was there. I made a couple of decent traps.”
* The 54-point man, Stephen Curry of Golden State, became the first NBA player to hit 11 3-pointers while having as many as seven assists Wednesday night at the Garden.