Why Kyrie Irving Is Cavaliers' NBA Finals X-Factor

The Cleveland Cavaliers' NBA Finals dreams live and die with LeBron James; we all know that. But Kyrie Irving has a vital role to play in his team's matchup with the seemingly unbeatable Golden State Warriors.

For Irving, it all starts on the defensive end, which is a strange place to begin for a player whose reputation as a stopper is, well, non-existent.

Slowing down Stephen Curry is a critical task, and though Irving may not always be the MVP's primary defender, he'll see minutes in that role. The Cavaliers would be wise to hide Irving on other matchups as often as possible, but as SB Nation's Mike Prada observes, the alternative locations aren't great:

Wonder who Kyrie guards against the…