Not Buying It: 5 Overhyped Players Entering 2017-18 Season

So much of the NBA's offseason appeal is tied to hype.

But you should know not to believe it all.

Remember, optimism is never more accessible than when everyone is holding identical 0-0 records, and that was especially true this summer. Between LaVar Ball's carnival barking and the weapons stockpiling in the shadows of the Golden State Warriors, drowning in hope became a legitimate concern.

But the rhythmic ball-bouncing and shoe-squeaking of training camp has snapped us out of our daydreams. We're going full throttle back to reality and spotlighting five overhyped players for the 2017-18 campaign.

This quintet runs the gamut from falling former stars to an unproven freshman. The common bond between them is they've all been oversold—either attached to unrealistic expectations, granted attention they don't deserve or pressed into more prominent roles than they're able to fill.

Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF, Oklahoma City Thunder

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

If the NBA wants to save a little time, it could already engrave Sam Presti's name on the 2017-18 Executive of the Year Award.

Russell Westbrook's wild one-man show needed help, and Presti responded. Somehow Victor Oladipo, Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, Domantas Sabonis and a second-round pick transformed into All-Stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. OKC's solo act became a three-headed monster.

"I definitely think this qualifies as a super team," Andre Roberson said, per Erik Horne of the Oklahoman. "There's not that many teams in the league with as many stars as we have."

The price the Thunder paid to put this together is phenomenal, and the talent level is close to that. But it's hard to picture Anthony as the missing piece when no one knows how he'll respond to a dramatically different role.

It's not like this is Hoodie Melo. Anthony is a 33-year-old scoring specialist who just had his worst player efficiency rating in more than a decade (17.9). The only NBA life he knows is that of a focal point. He led his rookie-year team in shots by 5.1 per game, and he has yet to relinquish his squad's No. 1 spot.

That's obviously changing this season, and the magnitude of that adjustment is being lost among the dreams of title contention. This isn't as simple as placing Anthony next to Westbrook and George and watching him become Olympic Melo from 2012 and '16. Not unless the Thunder can add the rest of Team USA's roster, play with the shorter FIBA three-point line and face the non-NBA defenders present at the Games.

OKC was smart to place this bet, and it's possible all the pieces fall in place. But let's slow down on tagging third-option Melo as the difference-maker, since we've never even seen him in the second slot.

Lonzo Ball, PG, Los Angeles Lakers

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Lonzo Ball hasn't logged a second of NBA action yet. That obviously isn't new information, but it might be something you haven't thought about in a while despite the fascination with the 6'6" floor general and his family.

The 19-year-old is everywhere. He's beefing with rap legends and dropping bars of his own. He's anchoring both a family footwear company and a reality show. He even found his way insider the Tanner household.

Oh, and he's had the keys to the Lakers from the second they drafted him.

At his introductory press conference, Magic Johnson dubbed Ball "the new face of the Lakers" and said the rookie "has greatness written all over him."

Just so we're all clear: Yes, this is the same Lonzo Ball who shot 38.2 percent overall and 23.8 percent outside at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Not that his Sin City numbers—or the high school and college marks before them—matter anymore. Ball must prove he can produce at this level. He has to beat NBA defenders in the half court when fast-break chances aren't available. He has to prove his funky shooting form can be consistently accurate and effective against pressure. He has to balance touches and massage egos of professional athletes.

Ball has to be an NBA point guard. All the hype in the world doesn't change the fact he's yet to even start that test.

Danilo Gallinari, SF, Los Angeles Clippers

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Props to anyone who invested in Los Angeles Clippers' hyperbole before the start of this summer.

Their offseason started with the exit of Chris Paul, last year's No. 2 player overall in ESPN.com's real plus-minus. In return, L.A. brought back Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell.

Head coach Doc Rivers declared—with a straight face, mind you—"I think we've added talent," per Mark Medina, then with the Los Angeles Daily News.

Next up, L.A. made its biggest splash by adding Danilo Gallinari, a 29-year-old who's played 175 of a possible 328 games the last four seasons and broke his hand in July. The 6'10", 225-pounder is better off defending power forwards at this stage of his career but can't get many minutes there with Blake Griffin on the roster. Gallinari's off-the-dribble game will also suffer from the lack of spacing provided by Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Never mind, Gallinari says. When it comes to NBA frontcourts, this group is "No. 1. No doubt," per FanRag's Zach Harper.

The Gallinari-Griffin combo is a medical calamity waiting to happen. The last time either of them cleared 70 games was 2013-14, the same campaign Gallo missed entirely after undergoing two knee surgeries in a nine-month span.

The Gallinari-Griffin-Jordan triad may not function defensively against modern lineups. Even if it does, it could fall apart at the opposite end without sufficient shooting or distribution.

The Clippers are heavily invested in Griffin and Jordan, and with both players in their primes, it makes sense to try to stay relevant. But you don't do that by losing Paul and treating Gallinari like a building block.

Rodney Hood, SG, Utah Jazz

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Is it possible to have hype on the Gordon Hayward-less Utah Jazz? His defection shouldn't erase all interest in a team that won 51 games and had a top-three defense last season.

Fine, but is it really possible to be overhyped in Salt Lake City? It is when you're 24 years old, averaging 12.4 points per game for your career and already thrust into the spotlight vacated by Utah's only All-Star in six seasons.

"We believe Rodney Hood can be a primary scorer," Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said, per KSL.com's Andy Larsen.

Catch Hood on the right night, and you'll see why the Jazz are believers. The smooth 6'8" southpaw can make the game appear effortless. He reached 25 points five times last season, shooting 52 percent or better in each contest.

But primary scorers are consistent, and that's something Hood has never been. He had 22 outings with single-digit points, including nine where he was held below five. His 12.4 PER was matched by the likes of Trevor Ariza, Tim Frazier and Mindaugas Kuzminskas, guys who struggle to even see the top of their teams' offensive pecking orders.

Hood is a good three-point shooter, not a great one (37.1 percent last season). He rarely worked his way to the free-throw line (1.9 per game) and took more shots between three and 10 feet (16.1 percent of his attempts) and between 10 and 16 feet (14.0) than he did from point-blank range (12.3). He has looked like a complementary playmaker at times, but he's only averaged 2.1 assists for his career.

He's not a No. 1 option; he'll just awkwardly attempt to play one this season.

Dwyane Wade, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

One's reaction to the announcement of Dwyane Wade joining LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will decide how overhyped the addition is.

Maybe you see it as a cool moment for friends to rejoin forces and a bargain way for Wade to inject some playmaking and hoop savvy into Cleveland's non-LeBron lineups (groups outscored by 8.5 points per 100 possessions last season). If that's where you set the bar, the future Hall of Famer will clear it with ease.

Or maybe you're more like Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz, who celebrated the arrival of "Dwyane freaking Wade." That could still be OK, provided you realize it's 35-year-old Dwyane freaking Wade, who set career lows in minutes (29.9) and field-goal shooting (43.4) last season and has missed at least 20 games during three of the last four years.

He's still worth having—22.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per 36 minutes last season—but he's not Flash and shouldn't be a high-volume contributor for a contender.

But if you're on the same train as ESPN's Max Kellerman, your destination is disappointment. He said on First Take that Wade "brings the Cavs legitimately into the sphere of the [Golden State] Warriors, maybe."

Past versions of Wade might have, but not this one. For the Cavs to topple the Warriors, they need more three-and-D types, like Jae Crowder for instance. Wade has never been a three-point shooter (career 28.7 percent), and his defense is in a deep decline (39th among shooting guards in defensive real plus-minus).

In a vacuum, Wade improves Cleveland's depth. But his fit is tricky. Pairing him with Derrick Rose, another non-shooter, would shrink the offensive end. And if Wade is granted a spot in the closing group, that might require benching a player (or players) with superior sniping and defense (think Crowder and/or J.R. Smith).

As ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton put it, "the more minutes Wade plays with James in Cleveland, the less happy their reunion will be."

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats from Basketball Reference or NBA.com.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.