Ex-Clippers Star Calls Lakers the ‘Most Overrated’ Team in the NBA

Norman Powell isn’t shy about speaking his mind on Los Angeles basketball. Last December, he dropped 30 points in a revenge game against his former Clippers and brushed off their 5‑16 start. Now, with a fresh start in Chicago, Powell has turned his candor toward the other team in town—the Lakers.

During a livestream with streamer N3on, Powell was asked who the most overrated team in the NBA is right now. His answer was blunt.

“The Lakers," he said.

The comment came as the Lakers entered the 2026‑27 season in transition. With LeBron James gone, the franchise rebuilt around star guard Luka Doncic, adding center Walker Kessler, guard Quentin Grimes, forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, and guard Collin Sexton to join Doncic and Austin Reaves.

On paper, analysts see improvement. But Powell’s willingness to call them overrated highlights the perception gap: the Lakers draw outsized national attention regardless of their actual standing. Every winning streak sparks championship talk, every slump gets framed as crisis.

Powell knows the Los Angeles market well. He spent several seasons with the Clippers before being traded to Miami and later landing in Chicago. In his final Clippers season, he averaged a career‑best 21.8 points per game—yet still saw how the Lakers dominated headlines compared to his own team’s results.

That frustration has fueled his honesty. Months earlier, after torching the Clippers for 30 points in a Heat win, he dismissed their struggles, saying he “never guessed” they’d fall that far and that it wasn’t his problem anymore.

The Lakers remark fits the same mold: Powell, no longer tied to Los Angeles, speaking freely about the hype machine surrounding both franchises.

Whether the Lakers prove him wrong or lean into the annual hype, Powell has already made his stance clear. Given his track record, he’s unlikely to walk it back—and the next time Chicago faces Los Angeles, his words may add extra fuel to the matchup.