All season long, teams, fans and the media have overlooked one of the NBA’s most legitimate championship contenders — the Denver Nuggets. By far the most under-appreciated team in the league, the Nuggets have found themselves continually ignored and dismissed by the media as early playoff-exit material.

Given that they are a small-market team devoid of recognizable superstars in an absolutely stacked Western Conference, such dismissal comes as little surprise. But after a recent 15-game winning streak, people are finally starting notice to what has long been glaringly obvious — that this team, tucked safely away from attention in the misty isolation of the sky-scraping Rocky Mountains, is truly something special.

Boasting the fourth best record in the league, Denver ranks strong by all statistical measures. But to really appreciate what makes the Nuggets such a powerful force, one must go beyond the stats. What makes them stand out from every other team in the league, and every other team in history, is their very unorthodox and style of play.

The core aspect of the Nuggets’ identity is their ridiculous propensity to score points in the paint, in which they lead the league in by a wide margin. They recently went on a 51-game streak of outscoring their opponents in the paint, which is by far the longest such streak in existence — the next highest is a mere 30. Put simply, the Nuggets may very well be the best inside-scoring team in NBA history.

How do the Nuggets go about imposing such inside dominance? Their elite ability to score in fast-break situations certainly helps. Stocked with speed and athleticism at all positions, they run the ball at every opportunity — off turnovers, missed baskets or even made ones — catching opposing defenses off-guard and putting themselves in the position to score easy dunks and layups. It comes as no surprise that the Nuggets rank as the highest scoring fast-break team in the league.

Another integral part of Denver’s identity is their team-based approach to the game, a rare sight in today’s league. The Nuggets have a remarkable balance to their offense, with six players averaging double figures per game, and three only slightly below that mark. There is no ball-hogging scorer and the ball is constantly moving; every player is involved. Having three proven playmakers in Lawson, Miller and Iguodala helps ensure this fluidity. The Nuggets’ teamwork is a welcome change from the increasingly superstar-dominated culture of the NBA.

More importantly, their relentlessness in attacking the basket, which they do in many ways. Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are all more than adept at beating their defenders off the dribble, setting themselves and teammates up for easy baskets. Andre Miller continues to be an excellent lob passer, constantly setting up big men Kenneth Faried and Javale McGee for vicious slams. Add in the always active and cutting Corey Bre-wer and the quiet but effective clean-up man Kosta Koufos, and the Nuggets become a nightmare for even the leagues’ most elite defenses.

For all their unique strengths, the Nuggets still have many doubters. Questions are often raised about their suspect perimeter shooting and their ability to win in slower-paced games and crunch time. But despite some slight weak links make no mistake about it: Even though this team may be built differently, it can win with the best of them. Overlooking the Nuggets is a big mistake.

A version of this article was published in the Thursday, March 28 print edition. Anton Li is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].