Austin Rivers would like you to remember that the Eastern Conference is made up of more than two teams.
There has been a ton of hype about the Celtics and the 76ers going into this season - and for good reason. Besides being really, really, good, these two teams feature some of the brightest young talent in the Association.
But Rivers says pump the brakes - there are a number of other really good teams in the East. Rivers (15.4 ppg and 4.0 apg with the Clippers last season) joined a Wizards team that finished eighth in the Eastern Conference last season with a record of 43-39. Dwight Howard (16.6 ppg and 12.5 rpg with the Hornets) and Jeff Green (10.8 ppg and 3.2 rpg with the Cavs) also join a talented roster featuring All-Stars John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Rivers told CBS Sports' James Herbert "I think we're heavily slept-on. Team's been to the playoffs, what, the last five, four or five years?... I get the hype of a couple of the other teams, but I think we have a chance to compete with the best of the East."
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The new Washington guard was also high on the Indiana Pacers, who finished last season fifth in the East with a 48-34 record. The young Pacers, led by first-time All-Star Victor Oladipo (23.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg), added swingman Tyreke Evans (15.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.2 apg in Memphis) this offseason.
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Rivers said of the Pacers "Yeah, I would say Indiana's the other team that gets slept-on, too... And nobody seems to talk about the Pacers because everybody's so f---ing gassed up on the Celtics and the Sixers. And rightfully so: they're both talented teams. But Indiana is just as good as both those teams. And I think we're in the same situation."
Rivers didn't even mention the Raptors, last year's number one seed, who traded DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard this summer.
The Celtics play the Wizards three times this season. The first matchup is December 12.