At the start of the season, the newly configured NBA Atlantic Division looked like a mess. Three storied franchises – the Celtics, the 76ers, and the Knicks – were stuck in the mire of mediocrity. Toronto, a team whose 15 minutes of fame ended abruptly, was on its second new coach in as many seasons. And in New Jersey, the Nets were embarking on what looked like a long, painful rebuilding effort.

By mid-January, the division looked like one of the weakest in NBA history. Teams barely above .500 rotated in and out of the first-place slot. It seemed the division would only send one team to the playoffs and that that team might have the worst record of all qualifiers.

Fast-forward two months and much has changed. The division-leading Celtics, fresh off another trade-deadline blockbuster, have turned into a high-scoring, up-tempo team that should hold its seeding and advance into the second round of the playoffs. With both Antoine Walker and Gary Payton back in the fold, the Celtics have won eight of their last nine games, and are looking like a legitimate no. 3 seed.

Even more surprising, the Celtics might not be the Atlantic Division’s only playoff team. Thanks to the recent struggles of Indiana and Orlando (currently the 7th and 8th seeds in the conference), the door is open for Philadelphia to join the Celts in the post-season fray. And the remaining three teams in the division – yes, Knick fans, the team is not dead yet – are within five games of the final playoff spot.

Much depends on whether the Pacers and Magic can cling to the .500 mark; both teams currently sit at 31-31, but the future isn’t bright for either team. Orlando, one of the feel-good stories during the early part of the season, has lost four in a row, including a 98-82 thumping by the Nets on Sunday night; since trading guard Cutino Mobley to Sacramento for now injured swingman Doug Christie, the Magic are 13-16.

The major part of the Magic’s drop-off owes to their woes on offense. With Mobley, they had a high-flying offense, which topped 100 points 19 times in 33 games; since his departure they’ve made it into triple digits only 12 times in 29. Mobley’s absence has left the team short on outside shooting, as the Nets proved by playing a zone in the third quarter that enabled them to blow open a close game. Future opponents will be sure to exploit that weakness.

Orlando’s 20 remaining games are split evenly between home and the road, but they embark on a four-game West Coast road trip this week. After that, they face the Mavericks, Pistons, and Bulls on the road and host Phoenix, Washington, Miami, Detroit, and Chicago. At their present pace, it isn’t hard to see them going 40-42 or even 38-44. That could open one playoff slot.

The schedule is kinder to the Pacers – 11 of their remaining 20 games are at home, and there are few difficult opponents on the schedule – but they have other woes. Everyone in the team’s rotation has missed time this season with injuries, and the big blow could come this week when the status of power forward Jermaine O’Neal is announced.

O’Neal suffered a shoulder sprain against Denver March 3, and the team said this weekend that the injury is more serious than previously thought. They’ve gone 3-3 without O’Neal so far, and they were 5-11 in games he missed due to suspension earlier in the season. Losing their All-Star for an extended stretch will most likely doom the Pacers.

The 76ers, at 30-33, are in the best position to capitalize on these teams’ woes. The team has struggled thus far to find a role for Chris Webber, whom they acquired from Sacramento on February 23; Philadelphia is just 4-5 since he joined the team. The Sixers must find a way to make the most of their new forward, and they will need to run plays through Webber in his favored spots on the floor, particularly at the high post.

If the Sixers can establish Webber as a complimentary scoring threat alongside Allen Iverson, it will open floor for sharpshooters Kyle Korver and Marc Jackson, and make the team tough to handle offensively.

The Sixers will play 11 of their 19 remaining games at home, though the schedule isn’t kind. Their remaining dance card includes Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, and a western road trip that moves through Phoenix and Sacramento. They also play Cleveland and Lakers twice each. But the Sixers beat the Mavericks earlier this year without Iverson in the lineup, and they have wins over Seattle and Miami. If they can change the offense, they should hold up against the tough opposition and challenge for the final playoff spots.

Should Philly falter, the Raptors, Nets, and Knicks could all have a chance. The likelihood is slim – each team would have to play near .700 ball to crash the party – but the mere fact that there might be several Atlantic teams contending for playoff spots other than the division title has added a dose of excitement to an otherwise grim NBA season for hoops fans in the Northeast. It’s a reflection of how quickly matters can change in the NBA, and it bodes well for the division’s strength next season.