The Philadelphia 76ers have spent most of the 2011-12 season on top of the Atlantic Division. A strong start coupled with the struggles of the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks really helped the 76ers build a lead in the division. While Philadelphia continues to play well, their main rivals are starting to kick things into gear. The Celtics and Knicks are suddenly rising and it should shape up to be an exciting race in the division. As a 76ers fan, I hope the team is ready to fight off both teams as they push toward a division title.

The Knicks are suddenly the talk of the NBA thanks to Harvard alum Jeremy Lin. The first Harvard player in the NBA in decades has taken the league by storm. Lin continues to set new standards for himself and is a fixture on ESPN. He put up 38 points to lead his team to a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on February 10. It was the fourth straight win for the Knicks. They are still just 12-15 but are definitely playing better. What is all the more stunning is that they are winning without Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Both of those guys should be back and it will be interesting to see how that gels with the Jeremy Lin craze. Anthony loves to have the basketball but he might have to adapt his game and allow Lin to run the offense. New York has long craved a point guard and they might finally have one.

Meanwhile, the Celtics are 14-12 and have lost two straight games. But they are coming off a stretch that saw them win nine of their last 10 games. No team offers more veteran experience than this one. Boston is the one team that can simply limp into the playoffs and then make a run. The 76ers can’t afford to overlook them. Boston is much better than they were during their rough start to the season. The Atlantic Division is definitely a three team race.

Strangely, the 76ers have only played one game against the Knicks and have yet to face the Celtics. That means there will be plenty of battles between these teams to come. Those games will go a long way in determining the division champion. For now Philadelphia can’t worry about the other teams. They need to focus on their own games and continue to do what they have been doing. Doug Collins will keep the 76ers focused on that task. The time will come to settle things with the division rivals. That will be important because those other teams are only going to get better.

* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia 76ers fan. Follow him on Twitter here.

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