NBA: Top 10 candidates for MVP in 2017-18

9. Kyrie Irving

Narrative is only a sliver of the MVP pie chart, but if Kyrie Irving posts big numbers to lead the Boston Celtics to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, who could deny such a compelling story? Especially if LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are their main competition?

Irving took a ton of flak for his request to be traded away from a sure return to the NBA Finals, but that alpha dog mentality — founded or not — could easily be flipped back into a positive if he puts up career numbers in his first season under Brad Stevens.

Last year, Irving put up a career-high 25.2 points and 5.8 assists per game on efficient .473/.401/.905 shooting splits. If he can build on that stat line and put in consistent effort on the defensive end, the Celtics can repay the favor by masking some of the flaws in his game, particularly with defenders like Marcus Smart, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford flanking him.

Boston would almost certainly have to snag the 1-seed in the East for Irving to have a fighting chance as MVP, but the Cavs will be missing Isaiah Thomas until around January, and LeBron will continue to coast through regular seasons as he preserves his energy for the playoffs, so perhaps this isn’t such a massive long shot as it first appears.