The Dallas Mavericks are not really among the teams touted as favorites in the upcoming NBA season, so it seems that the Mavs are in no hurry to rush Chandler Parsons and Wes Matthews, who are both coming off injury, into action.

The two may be returning but on different dates.

Parsons seems to be the first one springing back to action after undergoing surgery last May 1 for a reported "minor hybrid" microfracture operation. The thing is, the curing time for Parsons was suppose to be four months meaning the small forward should be up and about by now.

But as head coach Rick Carlisle puts it, Parsons "could" play in the season opener. Take note of the "could" part meaning that it remains to be seen if the 26-year-old small forward will be ready or not.

For Matthews, the new recruit ruptured his Achilles heel back in March when he was still with the Portland Trailblazers. Although Matthews seemed enthusiastic about possibly being ready by the season opener, Carlisle says that the best bet is to perhaps see him by Christmas.

Like Parsons, Matthews status could be on the dot or not so it is likely that the Mavs may have to look for someone else to take up the slot of the two for now.

The Mavs find themselves in a pretty competitive Western Conference that boasts of souped up squads like the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Houston Rockets. Then there are the defending champion Golden State Warriors to deal with as well, making it a very tough division for the Mavs to succeed.

The Mavs do have Dirk Nowitzki back along with some holdovers like JJ Barea, Raymond Felton, Devin Harris, and Charlie Villanueva to lead the campaign. New faces like Deron Williams and Zaza Pachulia will try their best to blend in with the old faces, a mix that could spring up some surprises this season.

But the odds could get better if Matthews and Parsons are back at 100%, although it is unlikely that they will be forced back to action until they are given a clean bill of health.