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There is a huge buzz around the Boston Celtics after the completion of the trade for All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving last week that has many holding the strong belief that they can contend for an NBA title.
This vision is also shared by Irving's high school coach, Chris Chavannes, who recently told Michael Lee of The Vertical that sees his former player is in store for a huge first year with the Celtics.
“I think, this season, he will be the MVP and Boston will be in the championship series,” Boyle, now coach at Montverde Academy in Florida, told The Vertical. “That’s crazy, his high school coach is saying this. Some might say that’s somewhat of an outrageous statement, but it’s also smart if it’s right. The last time, I said he’d be the best guard ever from New Jersey, and I was right.”
Chavannes' opinion may be a little bias given that he coached Irving, but he's not far off with the NBA Finals prediction as many see Irving's addition to the Celtics as potentially putting them over the top in the Eastern Conference over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Keep in mind, Boston also added another All-Star in Gordon Hayward this offseason that could also change things up dramatically.
As for the MVP conversation, Las Vegas betting odds currently have Irving pegged at 15/1 odds, which is the eighth best chances in the league. His odds had taken a significant jump following the trade originally standing at 50/1. The 25-year-old has the chance to build off his best individual season where he averaged a career-high 25.2 points per game.
With him presumably taking over the top scoring option role with the Celtics, this could lead to an even greater campaign along with the team being in title contention. Although these are lofty expectations, the opportunity is there for him to achieve it.
