Kyrie Irving bypasses Isaiah Thomas in MVP odds



Isiah Thomas is coming off his best NBA season of his career where he finished fifth in MVP voting, only behind Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. 

Thomas in 34 minutes averaged 28.9 points, 5.9 assists, 2.7 boards and shot 46% from the field, earning him an All-NBA Second Team which helped the Celtics secure the number one seed in the East. 

After a blockbuster trade which sent Isiah Thomas to Cleveland and Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, the MVP odds have flip flopped. 


Isiah Thomas opened as the ninth favorite to win MVP at 30-1, while Kyrie was in the middle of the pack at 50-1.  However, Isiah is no longer a favorite due to the reason he will be playing along side LeBron James. Irving being traded to the Celtics fulfills his need to be "the guy," catapulting him to eighth favorite in MVP odds.

Last season Irving averaged 25.2 points, 5.8 assists, 3.2 boards, while shooting 47% from the floor, which is strikingly similar to Thomas' stats.

Now that Irving is out from under LeBron's wing, he can flourish and even improve his statistics making him a sneaky choice for MVP. Unless, of course, the trade ends up being vetoed in which case we're going to have a much harder time projecting what next season will look like for either player.





Photo Credit: Winslow Townson



















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