The answer is constrained by how the question was framed. For example: playing big minutes. Nothing said about being able to really defend bigs down low or defensive rebounding either.
The guys consistently on top of the advanced defensive stats are Baynes (#1 in NBA defensive real +/-), Horford, and Theis (#1 in defensive rating among players with any real minutes).
Horford's playing the most minutes of that trio and is my pick.
Thanks for the tip.
Defend bigs down low - would fit under the:
- Can't be backed down easily.
- Protects the rim like a cradle of his newborn baby
Defensive rebounding - would be
- Boxes out with discipline and regularity.
I did add it though. I knew I didn't grasp all of the defensive workload in my initial post.
For me it is not that important that the player gets credited for the board. If the team secures the ball, even better if TRoz or Kyrie get it, semi fast break can evolve in a second.
If a player can't play big minutes, than he either is not as good as his oponents are (and is therefore benched) or he is not reliable enough (injuries, foul trouble, technicals, suspensions or conditioning)