The Most Overrated NBA Teams This Season

Every season, the hype surrounding certain NBA teams wildly exceeds their production, and we've already seen that on display at the year's onset.

There were some teams that were expected to hit the ground running, but the beginning of the year hasn't been met with the unbridled success that these teams may have been hoping to achieve.

It's so early in the year that there is plenty of time to turn it around, but it's going to be important to buck the losing trend early in order to live up to expectations placed upon them.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns didn't have high hopes heading into the season, but this rebuilding project clearly still has a lot of work to be done.

It just doesn't make sense for Phoenix to continue to build around veterans, as the fastest way back to relevance in the NBA is bottoming out and building from the ground up.

If Phoenix continues to struggle, it's time to collect assets for the front office to explore the trade market and finally admit that this is a team in transition.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz didn't exactly come into the campaign with many expecting this team to find success, but Utah looks woefully bad on both ends of the floor in the early going.

There was some excitement over the pieces added from the previous season, but it's very evident that this club is the definition of a work in progress at this time.

Despite an intriguing mix of size beneath the basket, the Jazz continue to struggle from the perimeter, and Tyrone Corbin has a lot of work to do in order to turn it around on the fly.

Sacramento Kings

Sacramento is going to be another team which will be inconsistent at best, but the defensive issues on the perimeter for this group are likely to persist as a problem throughout the season.

The offense can be explosive at times, but when the perimeter shooters aren't firing on all cylinders and are clanking bricks against the rim, the Kings will struggle to produce.

There is a lot to like about the offseason moves that were made, but to think the Kings could be in store for anything more than a back-end playoff seed would be foolish.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are still going to be a good team this season, so don't take the appearance on this list in the wrong fashion.

However, the success Memphis enjoyed as a result of its captivating postseason run in 2011 unfairly put ridiculous expectations on this group.

There are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way for the Grizzlies, and the club will have to adjust on the fly.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics have begun the season 0-3, and while it's not right to evaluate the club in its entirety without Paul Pierce, there is no doubt this is not the way the team wanted the season to start.

Despite the initial lag and the inevitable return of Pierce, the Celtics won't be the same team we've been used to seeing in recent seasons.

The core of talent is aging here, and it's really tough to see Boston realistically finding a way to beat (at least) Chicago or Miami in a playoff series.

New York Knicks

Perhaps we should have waited a wee bit longer to deem the newly formed frontcourt in New York the best in the NBA, because it's clear that it's still a work in progress.

Beyond the inability of Tyson Chandler to secure a rebound, the Knicks have really been exposed as a team with troubles stemming from the point guard position, as New York does not have a true facilitator on the court right now.

With Baron Davis still rehabbing his ailing back (bulging disc) and Mike Bibby at the end of his career, Toney Douglas is going to man the point, but he's better suited to play a third guard role (first off the bench) than to be relied upon to distribute the rock.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers will certainly be an exciting team to watch throughout the year, but the "Lob City" hysteria has quieted down quite a bit since it initially began.

There's no questioning the impact Chris Paul will have on this franchise, but a shellacking at the hands of the experienced San Antonio Spurs shows that team chemistry doesn't come over night.

Just because there is a plethora of talent on the roster doesn't mean it will work instantly, and although times are certainly brighter for the Clippers than they have been previously, the bandwagon shouldn't be speeding 100 miles per hour in the fast lane.

Dallas Mavericks

The defending champs look like anything but the cream of the crop thus far in the season, and there are a lot of people looking for answers as to what is going on in Dallas.

There were so many moving parts for this team in the offseason that it was downright impossible for them to click immediately, and many of the guys on this roster have very little familiarity playing with one another.

Additionally, another season in the books means the key contributors are another year older, and this Mavericks team may not be built to run in the fashion they'll have to in order to keep pace with the competition.