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Is Kyrie Irving a Legit MVP Candidate for the Boston Celtics Next Season?

By Jesse Cinquini

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 11: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics gestures during a game against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden on March 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 11: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics gestures during a game against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden on March 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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Kyrie Irving is the leader of this Boston Celtics team. He will undoubtedly be looking to prove to people that he is still the same great player prior to his injury. How many games could Boston win during the regular season, and will Kyrie Irving have a chance at winning his first MVP award?

The Boston Celtics are a team with enormous expectations heading into the 2018-2019 NBA season. According to Vegas they currently have the second best odds of winning the 2019 NBA championship , behind only the Golden State Warriors.

Next season, it seems to be title or bust for the Celtics. With Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving returning to a team that was just a few minutes away from a trip to the NBA Finals, the entire team and coaching staff is surely focused on Banner 18.

To achieve their goal of winning a championship, the Celtics need an excellent year from Kyrie Irving. He is widely considered to be the best player on the team and as a point guard he is the leader as well.

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Al Horford is the vocal leader, but Kyrie orchestrates the team and makes sure that everyone is in the right spots to be successful.

Expect a career year from Kyrie Irving on both sides of the ball. Last season he showed great improvement defensively, getting in the passing lanes often and is no longer a liability when guarding other 1’s and 2’s in isolation. As he begins to get more comfortable with the way that the Celtics play defense as a team, his awareness on that end will only improve. Overall, Kyrie was a very underrated defender last season.

Offensively, expect more of the same from Irving. He was excellent last season, scoring over 24 points per game on a career high 49% from the field and 41% from deep. Also, he averaged five assists and did a great job of finding teammates and playing unselfishly. Assuming he finishes next season with similar numbers, the Boston Celtics could easily win over 60 games if the team stays healthy.

Being the best player on one of the best teams in basketball will allow Kyrie Irving to make a great case for the 2019 MVP Award. It is very possible that Boston could finish the regular season with the best record in basketball, which would instantly put Kyrie among the top contenders for the award. He may not be the favorite to win MVP next season, but he is certainly a legit candidate.

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