In many ways, the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers are mirror images of each other, which is why their meeting at the Wells Fargo Center is the NBA’s best game Wednesday night.
Both the Nuggets and 76ers are taking a radical approach to success. Instead of fronting their roster with two or three superstars, they have – out of necessity – instead built deep teams with quality players. Both have eight players averaging better than eight points per game.
Denver is 27-12 since trading Carmelo Anthony last February. Philadelphia is 48-31 since recovering from a 3-13 start last season as it grew accustomed to new coach Doug Collins.
Neither team has a top 25 scorer, a top 15 rebounder or a top 10 assist man. However, the Nuggets are first in assists and second in scoring, while the Sixers are second in scoring, third in defense and first in point differential at a staggering 14.9. No other team is in double digits.
Where the Nuggets and Sixers differ is in appearance and approach. Denver is the bigger team, starting a pair of centers in Nene and Timofey Mozgov and using Chris Andersen off the bench. Philadelphia really has just one center – Spencer Hawes – and undersized power forwards in Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young.
The Nuggets also run more than any team; their 22.1 fast break points per game lead the league. 
The Sixers are a solid fifth at 17.3 fast break points but a bit less reckless; their 12.2 turnovers are lowest in the NBA, while the Nuggets commit the fifth-most at 16.4 per contest.
This is the first true test in some time for the Sixers, who began the season with a five-game road trip but have fattened up primarily at home and against weaker clubs. They are just 1-2 against teams currently above .500, and this game begins a stretch of three in a row vs. quality squads. Philadelphia hosts Atlanta on Friday and visits Miami on Saturday.