Who is the most overrated contender entering the 2026-2027 NBA Season?

It is the beginning of September and the start of NBA training camp is less than one month away. The offseason is essentially over and all 30 teams have made their final roster moves entering the 2026-2027 season. The 2026 offseason was huge for several NBA franchises, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves, to name a few. As the pre-season approaches, the idea of reflecting on a team's status as underrated or overrated often sparks discussion. An active or inactive offseason has the power to change the perception of a contender. Sometimes a contender thinks they're better than they actually are and lacks the need for change. The Denver Nuggets have entered the conversation of debate. The Denver Nuggets, coming off a surprising first round upset, enter the 2026-2027 season as arguably the most overrated contender in the NBA. It's time to look at the Nuggets' recent offseason and how it impacts their upcoming season. One offseason ago, the Denver Nuggets were coming off of a second round exit against the eventual 2025 champion Oklahoma City Thunder. They went the distance against the Thunder, losing in a very competitive 7-game series. The series loss was a wake-up call to the Nuggets front office, as they knew changes were inevitable following the elimination. The Nuggets would break up their championship core by sending small forward Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for power forward Cameron Johnson. A move that opens up cap space for the Nuggets to add roster depth. In addition to Johnson, the Nuggets signed guards Tim Hardway Jr, Bruce Brown and backup big man Jonas Valanciunas. At the time, the Nuggets were considered winners of the 2025 NBA offseason. Their roster was deep with quality role players playing alongside future Hall of Famer Nikola Jokić. His long-time teammate Jamal Murray became an all-star for the first time in his career to add more fuel to the fire. The hopes for Denver to win its second championship couldn't have been any higher. Entering the 2025-2026 season, many people in the media picked the Nuggets to challenge the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The World wanted a Thunder and Nuggets playoff rematch. The dream rematch would fail to exist. The Denver Nuggets finished the 2025-2026 regular season with 54 wins, good enough for the 3rd seed in the Western Conference. They also had the fifth-best record out of all 30 teams, ending the regular season. Needless to say, they were favorites when facing the 6 seeded Minnesota Timberwolves entering the first round of the playoffs. Unlike many first round series, both teams dealt with many injuries throughout the first round. The Nuggets were without key reserve forward Peyton Watson throughout the entire first round. Starting forward Aaron Gordon was in and out of the lineup, after dealing with injuries throughout the regular season and playoffs. The Timber wolves were also missing key players as all-star Anthony Edwards missed half of the first round series and key role player Donte Divincenzo suffered a season-ending torn achilles. The Nuggets would struggle against the Timberwolves' defense all series and would lose the series in 6 games. Jokic and Murray gave lackluster playoff performances, and it reflected on the Nuggets' play as a whole. The lack of athleticism was very noticeable in the Nuggets first round loss. What looked like a championship caliber playoff roster would soon end in bust fashion. That would lead into the 2026 NBA offseason. The Nuggets will enter the 2026-27 season lacking the depth that made their roster promising last season. They lost Hardway, Brown and Valanciunas in free agency, and traded Peyton Wayton to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Nuggets would follow up the Watson trade by signing aging former star Demar Derozan at the veteran minimum. One can make the case that the Nuggets did not get better this offseason, but they got much worse, plus expensive. The Nuggets have the second-highest payroll out of all 30 teams and their team at best looks like a 5 or 6 seed. Nikola Jokić is entering his second to last year of his current contract. He will be 32 years old next season and may not have many years left in his prime if he continues to experience long-term injuries. The word overrated might be harsh, but the Nuggets have a chance to change that perspective. So who is the most overrated team entering the 2026-2027 NBA season? Will the Nuggets flip the script towards any criticism? Pre-season projections are always interesting when looking back at them months down the line. It will be intriguing to learn how these perceptions look in hindsight.