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Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

2014-15 statistics: 34.5 minutes, 20.6 points, 44.9 FG%, 35.1 3P%, 4.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, 2.3 turnovers, 24.1 PER

If Kyle Lowry isn't voted in as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, Casey says he'll have to lay the smackdown on any coaches who don't name him as a reserve, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca:

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.

The latest All-Star returns have Lowry fourth amongst backcourt candidates with 274,741 votes. He still has a ways to go before he catches Dwyane Wade and his 396,757 votes for second place, though.

Lowry was recently named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December, joining Chris Bosh as the only players in franchise history to receive the honor. He led the Raptors to an 11-4 record, averaging 22.3 points and 8.9 assists.

It's hard to imagine the Raptors not getting one player on the All-Star team. DeRozan's injury all but takes him out of the running. Even if he were healthy, Lowry's play has been so exceptional that he would have to be considered the favorite to snag a spot over his teammate.

He's sixth in the East in scoring, second in assists, eighth in steals, third in PER and sixth in usage rate, per ESPN.com.

Lowry is going to be named an All-Star, whether it be by a sudden surge in votes or the rationale of coaches who appreciate the kind of season he's having. His numbers, leadership and tenacity on the floor can't be ignored.

Casey can rest easy and roll his sleeves back down. He won't need to get violent.

Christopher Walder is considered by many to be the "songbird of his generation" and the greatest center to have never played professional, collegiate, high school, house league or pickup basketball. His work has been published on Bleacher Report, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, FanSided and several other online outlets. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports.

All statistics, unless otherwise noted, are courtesy of NBA.com/stats and Basketball-Reference.com