I get the limitations. I just think this whole hype up defense thing has unrealistic expectations on Rudy. Top 3 DPOY candidates and last year's DPOY all looked ridiculous at elimination games this year. It's just what happens in the NBA. Playoff defense is still a team thing and a guy like Rudy can elevate that.
Defense is fundamentally different than offense and most fans look at defense as they look at offense. There has been lots of moving parts where they took Rudy out of the game. They didn't let him guard the PnR. They used him to get a blender going by pulling him to the rim and passing to his guy. This time, Mann made shots and didn't even need to start the blender.
I would have expected different coverages but Rudy would be out on the floor in all of them. I don't know to which degree the blame lies on Quin but Jazz lack smart defenders. They don't have to be good, just smart enough to apply scheme. There are lots of actions on the small side that add up little by little and culminate on Rudy.
