When streamer N3on asked Norman Powell to name the NBA’s most overrated team, the Chicago Bulls guard picked the Los Angeles Lakers.

“The Lakers,” Powell answered.

The response is sure to draw attention. The Lakers generate plenty of it on their own, and they enter the season facing questions after LeBron James’ departure. But calling them the most overrated team in the NBA is a stronger claim than saying their new roster still has something to prove.

Powell did not offer a basketball explanation in the clip. Without one, it is difficult to know whether he doubts the team’s talent, dislikes the expectations surrounding it or simply gave a quick answer to a question designed to provoke one.

Los Angeles’ roster is built around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, two players capable of creating offense for themselves and others. That backcourt raises fair defensive questions, but it also gives the Lakers a foundation few teams can match offensively.

The front office spent the offseason trying to put a better-fitting group around them. Walker Kessler gives Los Angeles a rim protector and a pick-and-roll target. Quentin Grimes adds perimeter defense and shooting, while Collin Sexton gives the second unit another scoring option.

Those additions do not guarantee a deep playoff run. They do give the Lakers a clearer answer to several weaknesses that opponents could target.

There is also a difference between extensive coverage and inflated expectations. The Lakers will be discussed constantly because of Dončić and the size of their fan base. That attention alone does not mean most observers have penciled them in as championship favorites.

Powell’s choice should not be dismissed entirely. Los Angeles must show that its new pieces fit together, that Dončić and Reaves can hold up defensively as a backcourt and that the team has enough depth to manage injuries. Losing James leaves an enormous role to replace, regardless of how much the Lakers like their offseason.

Those concerns make the coming season compelling. They do not yet establish that Los Angeles is overrated, much less more overrated than every other team in the league.

Powell may ultimately be right to doubt the Lakers. The games will provide a better measure than preseason roster projections. For now, his two-word answer overlooks both the problems Los Angeles addressed and the fact that its biggest questions are already part of the conversation.