Stoked to be getting his top offensive threat back soon, Raptors coach Dwane Casey knows he’ll have to protect the investment once Andrea Bargnani is back in uniform.

Casey said he’ll be carefully watching Bargnani’s return from a strained calf so carefully, he’ll make sure the 7-footer doesn’t over-extend himself “if I have to out there and physically drag him off the floor.”

Bargnani had his first full-scale practice Thursday with the Raptors since straining his calf in Utah in January, 20 games ago. Depending on how he feels after Thursday’s workout and one Friday, the 23-point-a-night scorer could return Saturday in Detroit or Sunday at the Air Canada Centre against Milwaukee.

“I’m out of rhythm, out of shape, but that will come with work,” said Bargnani.

Bargnani said when he comes back he’ll be ready to handle a normal workload, even if his coach thinks it’s better to ease him back. The fact that he re-injured the calf after playing back-to-back games in January after a first, similar injury kept him out of six early games won’t be a concern.

“We did what we were supposed to do then, you never know,” he said.