Mitch Johnson: Spurs taking ' very methodical' approach to Harris' rehab

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Saturday the team is handling Tobias Harris’ rehab from a left calf strain “very, very methodically,” a signal that it could be a while before the 16th-year forward makes his debut for the defending Western Conference champions.

“We need to just be patient and make sure we get it all the way right and get him all the way right in terms of being ready to prepare to play an NBA game at the (fast-paced) style of play we want,” Johnson said before the Spurs faced Minnesota at the Frost Bank Center.

“So, yeah, it’s just taking it very, very methodically, I think, which is appropriate.”

Harris, who the Spurs signed to a two-year, $31 million contract in the offseason, has been sidelined since suffering the injury during the first week of training camp.

Studies have shown that calf injuries increase the risk of Achilles tendon rupture in NBA players, so that also factors into the team’s cautious, patient approach, Johnson said.

“It’s a calf strain, so that’s a thing we’ve seen can be tricky,” he said. “And so I think the medical (staff) has done a great job of trying to keep him engaged and trying to continue to progress in the right direction, but at the same time, being patient and not getting ahead of ourselves and understanding we have 70 whatever games left.

“So we just need to keep ourselves and mostly Tobias from ourselves and himself.”

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This article originally published at Mitch Johnson: Spurs taking ‘ very methodical’ approach to Harris’ rehab.