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TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO - While the NBA recently recognized Kyle Lowry, naming him Eastern Conference Player of the Month for his standout work in December, Dwane Casey remains disappointed to see that the fans haven't exactly followed suit.

When the league released its latest All-Star voting update on Thursday, Lowry was slotted fourth among Eastern Conference guards, behind Washington's John Wall, Miami's Dwyane Wade and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving.

Fans are responsible for selecting the starters for the NBA's annual All-Star Game, which will take place in New York City on Feb. 15, voting in two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference before the league's coaches fill out the rosters.

At the time of the last update, Lowry trailed Wade by 122,016 votes for second at the position, with Irving slotted in between.

"[I'm] very surprised," Casey admitted after the Raptors' Tuesday morning practice. "I hope our fans get out and vote and don't put it in the hands of the coaches. And if the coaches don't do it I'm probably going to get into a physical fight with those guys."

One way or another the Raptors' guard, in his ninth NBA season, is poised to become a first-time All-Star. In 34 games this season, Lowry is averaging a career-best 20.6 points (17th in the NBA and second among East guards, behind Wade) and 7.6 assists (tied for seventh in the NBA and ranked second among East guards, behind Wall). He ranks ninth in PER (player efficiency rating), third among Eastern Conference players at any position (behind LeBron James and Wade), and is seventh overall in win shares (estimated number of wins a player produces for his team), second in the East behind only Jimmy Butler of the Bulls.

He has been the best player, by far, on a Raptors team that has led the East for most of the season's first two months. Casey's frustration stems from last season, when Lowry became the league's most notable omission from the team - during a similarly impressive campaign - after the coaches failed to vote him in. They will not make that same mistake again this time around but, as Casey points out, it probably shouldn't even come down to that.

"[The All-Star Game is] for the fans, but sometimes fans have their favourites and it has nothing to do with basketball," said the Raptors' coach. "I would challenge anyone to say that Kyle Lowry or Jimmy Butler are not two of the best players in the league right now."

In the middle of his own breakout campaign, Butler - who beat Lowry out for November's Player of the Month honours - was fifth in voting at the guard position in the latest update.

"That's sometimes where fantasy basketball, fans, or whatever it is may not recognize the contributions these players are making to their team or to this league," Casey continued. "So it's not fair but it's the system we have right now. The only thing we can do, Kyle can do is go out and continue to compete and play with that chip on his shoulder to show the league, to embarrass the fans and let them know that they made a mistake or are making a mistake in their voting."

DeMar DeRozan represented the upstart Raptors on last year's team - his first career selection, voted in as a reserve by the coaches - but is unlikely to make a second appearance this season, having missed six weeks-worth of games with a groin injury.

Lowry has taken his game to another level in the absence of his injured teammate, averaging 22.5 points and 8.7 assists in 18 games without DeRozan.

"The fans get to vote, coaches, whoever else gets to vote but at the end of the day it's about how you perform," said Raptors forward Patrick Patterson. "A lot of fans just vote for their favourite players, whether they're playing or not, and they get into an All-Star game. So I feel like it should be the guys who have the best records and guys who are leading their teams and right now that's Kyle. He's leading us [and] we're in a positive position right now. We're one of the top teams in the East, top team in our division and when all is said and done I definitely feel like Kyle is an All-Star."

He's not the only one to lend his support of Lowry.

"Canadian basketball fans should get behind [Kyle Lowry], who deserves to be an NBA All Star," tweeted Prime Minister Stephen Harper with the hashtag #NBABallot on Tuesday evening.

Three hours later, Harper's plea had garnered over 2,900 retweets, all of which will count towards Lowry's vote total.

As Patterson noted, fan voting is often a popularity contest, making Lowry a long shot to jump those currently ahead of him. Wade is a 10-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion, while Wall and Irving - both former first-overall picks - are two of the league's flashiest young point guards.

That's the unfortunate reality and some would argue - and have argued - that it's perfectly reasonable. The game is a celebration of the sport and a showcase for the fans, so shouldn't they have their say?

Of course, that's where the coaches come in - to reward deserving players that may have been left out of the starting lineups. But even that is not a foolproof system. Lowry's controversial omission a year ago serves as the latest of many examples. In 2013 Golden State's Stephen Curry was snubbed by both fans and coaches despite averaging 21.6 points for the 47-win Warriors. Just a few days later, the point guard joked that he was getting more attention without making the team than he would have if they had voted him in. The same can be said for Lowry, who is finally starting to turn heads around the association.

Lowry captured his third career Player of the Week award in the East early in December before taking home the monthly prize on Monday for the first time. The point guard joins Chris Bosh as the only Raptor players to ever win Player of the Month honours.

"That's the only recognition I care about [for him]," Patterson said. "Of course he'll get Player of the Weeks, he'll get Player of the Months, but the only recognition I care [about] for Kyle is that he makes All-Star. We all know he's an All-Star on this team and we want the rest of the world to know that. So hopefully before it's all said and done, he will be an All-Star and get the recognition he deserves."

Fan voting concludes on Monday, Jan. 19 and starters will be announced on Thursday of that same week.