Tyson Chandler likely to return from ankle injury Thursday

A week off can do wonders.

Thanks to the extended All-Star Break, Tyson Chandler may be able to return from a sprained left ankle suffered on Feb. 9 having only missed one game for his Dallas Mavericks.

That was Chandler's hope at the time, and after a limited practice Tuesday he was called likely to play Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, barring any setback. Should he be able to play, he'll join a returning Rajon Rondo and possibly a newly-signed Amar'e Stoudemire, who is expected to fortify Chandler's frontcourt after clearing waivers.

Chandler's poorly-timed injury may have cost him his second All-Star appearance, as teammate Dirk Nowitzki got the nod as an injury replacement, one that could have easily gone to Chandler. While his scoring is modest at 10.7 points per game, he gets there on 68.4 percent shooting, grabs 11.8 rebounds per night, has a robust 21.4 player efficiency rating and is among the game's very best rim protectors.

The Mavericks are 5.8 points per-100 possessions better with Chandler on the floor this season, vaulting them from a good team to a very good one. They'll need him healthy to hang with the other tough teams in what should be a ludicrous Western Conference playoffs.