March 23, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Denver Nuggets small forward Wilson Chandler (21) warms up prior to a game against the Utah Jazz at Energy Solutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson Chandler’s rehab seems to be going as planned and he plans to return on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors.

Chandler has been out of action since late November with a hip injury. He had surgery on the hip in the offseason and it started to bother him again. The former first round draft pick hopes to get back into action soon and become an immediate impact. Every year since coming into the league, his averages have been going up. He continues to improve and thrives off of the talent around him. He was averaging just under 10 points per game when he went down last season. Before that, he averaged just over 15 a game during his first season in Denver, shooting 45% from the field and 35% from behind the arc, a career high. He’s also a career 77% shooter from the foul line.

Chandler can provide an even deeper bench for the Nuggets. With him back in the lineup, Andre Iguodala and Danilo Gallinari can get more rest. He’ll join Andre Miller and Corey Brewer as a producer coming off the bench.

As Chandler continues to develop, he is a possible trade prospect for the Nuggets come February. Now that he is healthy, look for deals that involve him in the near future if the Nuggets look to test the waters.

A few injury notes to go over before game 3.

Kenyon Martin – Kenyon fractured his finger in game 1 but looked great in game 2 and shouldn’t be a problem going forward.

Carmelo Anthony – Melo sprained his ankle during game 2 but it didn’t seem to hamper his play at all. Carmelo said of the injury, “It’s sore, but I have 24 hours to get it right,” This shouldn’t be a concern for any Nuggets fan.

JR Smith – JR strained his calf at the end of game 1 and didn’t have much quickness in game 2. Smith said, “I can’t really jump off my right leg like I want to, but other than that, everything’s fine.” If only jumping wasn’t 95% of his value to the Nuggets, it would be ok. Of course he also said he’s going to be fine, and there’s no way he’s going to sit this game out.

Renaldo Balkman – Balkman was in street clothes for game 2 due to a sprained ankle and when asked about his status for game 3 he said, “I’ll go.” Not sure what the rush is, it’s not like George Karl would give him any playing time anyways.

Steven Hunter – The last time Hunter saw the floor for the Nuggets was during the end of a blowout against the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs last year. He missed the entire 2008-2009 season due to knee surgery. There is no way he will get any playing time in this series no matter how many players are injured or how big of a blowout the game is but George feels he’s healthy enough to wear a jersey and sit on the bench.

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