Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams started 60 games together last season and, for the first time in more than a decade, the Mavericks have a decent chance to have the same starting backcourt for the majority of games in two consecutive seasons.

To say there has been no consistency for this franchise in the backcourt during that time wouldn't be true. Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and J.J. Barea gave them plenty of stability during the glory years.

Since then, it's been a mishmash, and it's a long list of mixed-bag players who have come through the revolving door.

Williams and Matthews have a chance to fix that, and they are certain of one thing: This season is going to be more productive than their first one together, if only because they are familiar with each other, and -- most critically -- Matthews is starting this season healthy, which he wasn't at any point last season.

He was hindered throughout by the torn Achilles he had surgically repaired late in the 2014-15 season.

"People don't understand what an Achilles tear is," Matthews said. "It's debilitating. You can't do anything. Obviously, it's night and day from last year to this year because I went from a summer when I couldn't put my foot down on the ground to a summer where I could play basketball. I'm excited and grateful to be back out here and have the offseason I did and try to bring that into the season."

Don't be fooled by the season opener Wednesday in Indiana. Matthews did not shoot the ball well, hitting just three of 16 shots (2 of 10 from 3-point range).

Matthews will make shots. He always has. What mattered was that he found a way to impact the game with 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

And he worked well with Williams, who had a big scoring night that was dampened by six turnovers.

In many ways, this is simply a natural progression. But it's one nobody can take for granted. Sometimes, backcourt mates never fully click.

"A year together, everybody's going to be more comfortable together, not just me and Wes," Williams said. "But we expect to have a great season together."

Interestingly, the Western Conference is not overloaded with heavily stacked backcourts. A lot of teams have one elite player, like Friday night's opponent in the home opener, Houston, with James Harden (or Oklahoma City with Russell Westbrook). But apart from Golden State with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and maybe Portland with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, there aren't backcourts in the Western Conference that are scary good at both positions.

"Wes and Deron give us one of the most physical and experienced backcourts in the league, and it's my job to make sure we take advantage of those strengths," coach Rick Carlisle said. "So far, everything they're doing has been very positive."

Carlisle has been especially impressed with the way Matthews has reworked himself in the six months since last season ended. It was then that Matthews said he wouldn't want to be the player guarding him in his second season removed from surgery.

So far, it's clear that he's made huge strides. And the Mavericks are confident that the numbers will bear that out eventually.

"There's no question he's moving better, his conditioning is superior to what it was last year and, look, he's going to be one of our key guys at two positions," Carlisle said.

Williams, when healthy, was arguably the Mavericks' best player last season, or at least a worthy sidekick to Dirk Nowitzki.

This year, the Mavericks know they're going to have to spread things around. Matthews has to be a part of that equation.

"I took this offseason to heart and pushed myself and my body to get where I am," he said. "All the strengthening and conditioning stuff, all of it was on the court, just getting comfortable again."

And by the way, as tough as last season was, with Matthews dragging his leg around for the first half of the year and never feeling fully comfortable in the second half, it was worth it.

He took a great deal of pride from that difficult year.

"I was proud of the way I handled it," he said. "I know a lot of other people weren't. But I don't really care about any of that or what anybody else thinks because nobody else is doing what I was doing and has gone through what I had to go through. My expectations are still going to be higher than anybody else's on the outside. ...

"But I'm really excited about the opportunity this year."

Twitter: @ESefko

p-Projected. *Matthews started at small forward on opening night.