Defensive players are at their best when they are free. Rudy is not free, he has to constantly worry about the rim because if he is not there. Mitchell, Clarkson, Bogey, Ingles gets blown by and it's a basket every time. Funnel is as much of a necessity as it is building around Rudy. If we had better defenders on perimeter like Miami, we would see Rudy be as effective on switches as Adebayo. All that said, Mitchell doesn't help a **** on defense whatever the system is so he isn't doing what Rudy needs and wants. Also it's not building around a guy when you pile up every problem on him. Similarly, I will never blame Don for his struggles offensively against Houston.
On offense, he sets screens incessantly which help Mitchell become the most efficient PnR guard in the league. Mitchell, who is about average creating without a screen, benefits from Rudy's screens. Bigs like Allen and Ayton fit the same way. It feels ridiculous to say Phoenix have built their offense around Ayton, though. Quin just maximizes it because Rudy has elite level conditioning and Jazz struggle to pressure the rim without a screen. It's one of the reasons, the small ball hasn't worked as well as it should.
I am just bothered by how you say Don does everything when he doesn't.
