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 havent exactly followed suit. When the league released its latest All-Star voting update on Thursday, Lowry was slotted fourth among Eastern Conference guards, behind Washingtons John Wall, Miamis Dwyane Wade and Clevelands Kyrie Irving. Fans are responsible for selecting the starters for the NBAs 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 leagues 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. [Im] very surprised, Casey admitted after the Raptors Tuesday morning practice. I hope our fans get out and vote and dont put it in the hands of the coaches. And if the coaches dont do it Im 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 seasons first two months. Caseys frustration stems from last season, when Lowry became the leagues 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 shouldnt 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 Novembers Player of the Month honours - was fifth in voting at the guard position in the latest update. Thats 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 its not fair but its 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 years 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 its about how you perform, said Raptors forward Patrick Patterson. A lot of fans just vote for their favourite players, whether theyre 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 thats Kyle. Hes leading us [and] were in a positive position right now. Were 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. Hes 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, Harpers plea had garnered over 2,900 retweets, all of which will count towards Lowrys 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 leagues flashiest young point guards. Thats the unfortunate reality and some would argue - and have argued - that its perfectly reasonable. The game is a celebration of the sport and a showcase for the fans, so shouldnt they have their say? Of course, thats 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. Lowrys controversial omission a year ago serves as the latest of many examples. In 2013 Golden States 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. Thats the only recognition I care about [for him], Patterson said. Of course hell get Player of the Weeks, hell get Player of the Months, but the only recognition I care [about] for Kyle is that he makes All-Star. We all know hes an All-Star on this team and we want the rest of the world to know that. So hopefully before its 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. Leroy Sane Manchester City Jersey . With the team he supported as a child on the verge of reaching the Champions League semifinals for the first time in 19 years, Ba instead scored the goal that knocked them out. 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Im really, really happy with him, said Alan Sherman, assistant to his father Art. The 4-year-old, who also won the Eclipse Award as 2014 champion 3-year-old male, will take on former Eclipse Award winner Shared belief in the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes at Sannta Anita on Feb.dddddddddddd 7. However, Breeders Cup Classic winner Bayern is unlikely to start in the 1 1/8-mile race due to an injury. I had to get a work into him last week (but didnt), Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said about Bayern. Right now its pretty doubtful hes going to make the race. I dont want to rush him into it. He looks good now, but you cant run against those horses unless youre at least 90 percent. California Chrome posted six wins from nine starts in 2014 and earned more than $4 million for the year. ' ' '