Bridesmaid tier: Very good, highly respected teams who will have their moment, but no one is giving them a ring in Orlando
Teams: Celtics, Raptors, Nuggets, Rockets
Bridesmaids are an important part of the traditional wedding festivities. As a member of the wedding party, bridesmaids are part of a group of wedding elites and get a lot of attention throughout the day.
They get their moment to shine when walking down the aisle with a groomsman who just learned how to tie a tie minutes before the ceremony began. And some bridesmaids may even give a speech at the reception or rehearsal dinner. But at the end of the day, when all eyes are focused on the ring, it isn’t getting put on their finger.
That’s how the Celtics, Raptors, Nuggets, and Rockets will all feel in Orlando. They’ll get a lot of attention, they’ll be showered with praise about how great they look, and they might even make it to the conference finals. But that’s as close as they’ll get to the real thing.
The Raptors had their wedding last year so their fans can still look back on those memories fondly. But the Celtics, Nuggets, and Rockets will all have to hide their contempt during the ceremony and hope that next year the ring will go on their finger. Probably not though.
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.