Friday night's matchup at the Wells Fargo Center is billed as the Sixers vs. the Clippers.
However, the showdown at the center position is where the real battle will take place.
Nerlens Noel will square off against DeAndre Jordan for paint supremacy.
Jordan is coming off a strong performance. He scored 14 points on a perfect 7 for 7 from the field in the Clippers' 111-80 annihilation of the Knicks on Wednesday night. Jordan also grabbed 10 rebounds and swatted five shots.
It marked another dominant effort this season for the 6-foot-11 center. Jordan is averaging 11.2 points and a league-leading 14.8 rebounds per game. Still, it's his 71.3 field goal percentage that jumps off the stat sheet. Jordan's nearest competitor is Brooklyn's Mason Plumlee, who shoots 58.2 percent.
Granted, Jordan only attempts 6.4 field goals a game with most of those coming directly at the rim. But when you factor in that he has played in all of the Clippers' 72 games so far this season, his sky-high percentage takes on a new meaning. has played in all 72 games thus far this season, and he averages 6.4 field goal attempts.
Wilt Chamberlain played all 82 games in the 1972-73 season and shot 72.7 percent from the floor. No one else is in the company of Chamberlain and Jordan in terms of the shooting percentage given the number of games and minutes played.
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Jordan's counterpart on Friday has put together his own quality season. Noel is averaging 9.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.8 steals per game.
The rookie center's progression has seen him go on a tear in March with averages of 13.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.5 steals a night this month.
While both players came into the NBA serious questions about their ability to develop as all-around threats, the basketball world was still drooling over the potential of their endless athleticism.
Jordan, who was selected 35th overall in the 2008 draft, had this written about him by DraftExpress.com at the time:
"He doesn't have a high skill level right now and faces an uphill battle in developing an effective one. But he showed that he can produce with the help of a good point guard on this level.
Jordan was the recipient of a handful of nice alley-oop passes. And while he didn't show much with his back to the basket, there's something to be said for him using his size and athleticism to score without getting touches."
Noel received a similar critique when the emerging Rookie of the Year candidate decided to leave Kentucky after just one season.
"Any discussion about Noel's potential as an NBA prospect should start with his phenomenal physical attributes," DraftExpress.com wrote. "Measured at 6-10 without shoes, with a 7-4 wingspan and exceptional athletic ability, Noel is a rare specimen. He runs the floor like a guard, is extremely nimble and quick, and has pogo stick leaping ability."
Surprisingly, few of those attributes were displayed by either player when they squared off the first time this season.
Jordan scored seven points on 3 of 5 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds in the Clippers' 127-91 win over the Sixers at the Staples Center back on Jan. 3.
Noel matched those seven points and grabbed two more rebounds to finish with 12. He also added four assists, but the big man did commit six turnovers as well.
With both players scratching the surface of their potential, Friday night's game is must-see.