Why the Deutschlands were heavy cruisers, not pocket battleships

Were the Deutschland-class ships pocket battleships or heavy cruisers?

They were heavy cruisers with oversized guns, not true battleships, and the unusual armament did not make them well-balanced ships.

The Deutschland class is treated as a group of heavy cruisers carrying unusually large guns for a commerce-raiding role, rather than the pocket battleships of the popular press. Their armament did not let them reliably outrun or defeat every opponent above normal cruiser strength. A conventional battery of six eight-inch guns is suggested as a more coherent cruiser design. Six-inch guns are also raised as an alternative for the raiding role.