The Post Sports Live crew debates whether the Wizards' John Wall is among the best point guards in the NBA. (Post Sports Live/The Washington Post)

The Post Sports Live crew debates whether the Wizards' John Wall is among the best point guards in the NBA. (Post Sports Live/The Washington Post)

Two Fridays ago, Martell Webster walked onto the hardwood at Verizon Center for the most grueling portion of his workday. Within a half hour he was bent over, hands on his knees, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. He wasn’t playing in a game, or practicing. Webster was rehabbing.

Webster’s workout consisted of a perpetual stream of drills with four Wizards staff members. He curled off screens to hoist jumpers. He curled off screens to drive to the basket. He ran the floor on the wing. He ran the floor to play defense. He defended on the ball. He defended off the ball. Every couple of minutes he would shoot free throws.

He wore a black compression tank top with a GPS and heart monitor attached. The GPS logged speed, distance traveled and workload for particular areas of Webster’s body. The heart monitor traced the workout’s intensity. The Wizards are using the instruments for the first time this season.

These rigorous sessions are the centerpieces of Webster’s final phase of rehabilitation as he returns from June back surgery and attempts the rare feat of playing basketball at the highest level after three such procedures, performed over four years to repair the same herniated disk in his lower back. The experience makes the 6-foot-7 swingman somewhat of an expert in back rehabilitation but never has he worked like this.

“This is new for me, but it’s very smart because it allows guys that are in rehab to get a rhythm for how games are going to be when they do get back,” said Webster, 28. “Especially when they get back into practice. Usually, guys get cleared and they just go into practice to get the rhythm back. Me, I’m rehabbing in the game-type scenario so when I do get back I’ll be comfortable.”

The Post Sports Live crew analyzes the talent in the Eastern Conference and debates where the Wizards rank. (Post Sports Live/The Washington Post)

Webster was originally prescribed a recovery period of three to five months. He was cleared for contact and returned to practice as a limited participant on Nov. 20, in line with the original timeframe.

The Wizards are being patient. Webster and Coach Randy Wittman say his exact return date remains unclear because he hasn’t participated in a full Wizards practice due to the team’s schedule. Last Thursday Wittman said “it’s getting close” and Webster recently indicated he should be in uniform by the end of December.

Any back surgery — let alone a third — is treated with more caution than most setbacks and Wittman insisted Webster’s return was independent from the Wizards’ success.

“We could have nine guys and we wouldn’t hurry a guy in that situation,” Wittman said.

But Webster admitted Washington’s blistering start and unexpected depth has afforded him an opportunity to practice patience, which he said wasn’t an option when he rehabilitated the first two times with the middling Minnesota Timberwolves.

Before the season started the Wizards lacked many three-point threats without Webster. He averaged 10.6 points per game and shot 40.7 percent from the arc in his first two seasons with the Wizards, along the way signing a four-year, $22 million contract.

The dearth became more drastic when Bradley Beal fractured his left wrist during the preseason. But Rasual Butler’s staggering emergence — he’s third in the NBA in three-point shooting (53.4 percent) while averaging 11 points per game — and Otto Porter Jr.’s steady development have provided the Wizards ample options on the wing behind Beal and Paul Pierce.

“My first two back surgeries, I was in a situation where the teams weren’t very good so it was more of an emphasis of getting back as soon as possible,” explained Webster, who has said he plans to retire after his contract expires at the age of 30. “Now, there’s not a heavy burden of getting back as soon as possible. So I’m really taking my time and taking cautious steps to make sure I’m 100 percent comfortable before I step back on the court.”

Webster joined the Wizards on their last two road trips — to Boston and Orlando — which registers as subtle progress. He no longer feels the crippling pain the herniated disk caused via the sciatic nerve. He laments not going to Dr. Robert Watkins, who performed the third surgery, for the first, saying the next two might not have been necessary. But he doesn’t hold any other regrets as he eases his way back onto the floor with patience, persistence and a new formula.

“All I want to do is contribute to this team in the best way I can to win games,” Webster said. “So that’s the reason why I’m taking my time. I don’t want to come back and be sloppy. I know I’m going to be out of rhythm because there’s nothing like actually being in games, but I’m thankful for these game-like simulations we’re doing. The transition should be a lot smoother.”