NBA
Kyrie Irving is the Dark Horse for the MVP Award
When it was reported in early April that Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving would have season ending knee surgery, it was a disappointing end to an otherwise great season. In a year where we saw Irving average 24.4 points per game on career high efficiencies, it was a unfortunate to see it end so abruptly. With the 2018-2019 campaign around the corner expectations should be high for the all-star guard. With the pressure on him to lead his team to the top seed in the east, we should see a new Kyrie.
Making The Case for Kyrie
In recent years MVP voters have rated candidates on three major categories. Voters determine a players impact through stats, team record, and story. Irving will have to make a major impact in every category to be considered for the award. Constructing a case for Irving will be easy seeing that he will excel in all areas this season.
Stats
I will try not to bore anyone by breaking down advanced metrics, as I will only be sticking to major stat categories. Within the past 2 seasons Irving has made significant improvements in all facets of his game. As previously mentioned, Kyrie had his most efficient season last year slashing 49/40/89. Kyrie’s defense has also been trending upward when he obtained a career high 2.7 DWS (defensive win shares) last season. The last major statistic point guards are mainly measured in are assists. While Kyrie has never averaged a high number of assists in his career, and that probably won’t change next season, this shouldn’t hurt his MVP bid. For example, Stephen Curry only averaged 6.7 assists during his unanimous MVP campaign. As long as Kyrie keeps his turnovers low then this should not derail his case.
Team Record
The Boston Celtics are anticipated to eclipse 60 wins next season making them a top seed in the east. If the Celtics can accomplish this then it helps Kyrie’s case, as the best player on the best team always receives votes. With a majority of other MVP candidates being in the tougher western conference, Irving will outperform others in this respect. Kyrie’s strongest argument for the award will be his team’s record.
Story
Story is created before and during the season. In Kyrie Irving’s case his story is trying to disprove the stigma that he can’t win without Lebron. Something else to consider is that Irving is looking to bounce back after a major knee surgery, which can be a main story-line. If Kyrie can comeback looking better than ever, and plays at least 76 games then this supports his MVP bid. Another factor of the story category is the signature game. Examples of this are, James Haden’s 60-point triple double or Stephen Curry’s game winner against OKC. These performances propelled their respective arguments, and were the catalyst for them winning the award. Kyrie is highly capable of having these kinds of games/stretches that are legendary.
The Case Against Kyrie
Irving is in line to have monster season, however he is not the only one. New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis is poised to have a huge year after he made some noise in last years playoffs. LeBron James will also be a candidate if he can lead his Lakers to a top seed. Irving will be playing in the weaker east, which has been a popular argument against James winning the award in years prior. However, if Kyrie can perform highly against western conference teams then this problem should go away. Although previously mentioned, it cannot be stressed enough that Kyrie stay healthy. If he goes down with another injury, and is out for even just 10 games then that will kill his case for Most Valuable Player.
The Final Case for Irving
The Boston Celtics point guard with be entering his 8th NBA season. Irving will be going into a contract year with much to prove. NBA front offices will being watching him closely to determine if he is worth max money. There is no doubt in my mind that he will blow away everyone’s expectations, as he looks bring another trophy to Boston. MVP chants will echo throughout TD Garden once again, as Irving blossoms into the superstar he was always destined to be.
