MIAMI

It has been four seasons since Chris Bosh last played for the Raptors, but he still keeps tabs on the team.

Still Toronto’s career leader in points scored, Bosh, told by the Sun after Miami beat Toronto for the 14th straight time — 13th in the Big Three era — that this is the best the team has played since he left town, took a few seconds to let that sink in.

Asked if the perception of the Raptors has changed with the team winning 10 of 14 and vaulting within a game of third place in the East (the Heat sits second), Bosh took the query as a broader question than it was meant to be, embarking on a thoughtful discussion about the franchise he knows so well.

“I think the perception will always be the same, which is they’re a team which is North of the border,” he began.

“But, recently with their play, they’re trying to turn things around, they’re trying to make sure they’re a good team and they’re playing very good basketball, they’re playing together.”

Bosh, who once, like many NBAers lamented the lack of access to ESPN in Toronto, might sound silly for playing up the perception that the Raptors — especially the men at the top — are desperate to shed, but it’s not an easy thing to do.

“As far as perception is concerned, it will always be the same I think. It’s just something they have to fight against,” Bosh said.

But in terms of being a squad that teams look past, that loses far more often than it wins, well, Bosh seems to think that long-standing rep is finally being shed.

“Well yeah, competitively, yeah ... you can tell that they’ve put some new plays in, really got us moving around,” he said.

But Bosh, who went through two playoff series in Toronto before his three trips to the Finals with the Heat, warns this is very early on in the process of righting the ship.

“You know it’s early and I think for them their challenge is going to be consistency. Staying playing at that high level because we know eventually as the second half of the season approaches, teams are going to start getting better,” Bosh said.

“That’s the difficult part, you have to make sure you don’t run out of gas. But I think they have enough depth, they just have to stay with it in the mind.”

PATTERSON GIVE DEROZAN HIGH PRAISE

That Kyle Lowry was a talented player wasn’t in question, but his recent surge has been a mild surprise to the Raptors.

Patrick Patterson played with Lowry after being drafted by the Rockets and saw him do some big things — “he had triple doubles in Houston while I was there, 30 point games, but I think in Toronto he’s accepting his role more,” Patterson said earlier in the week.

Head coach Dwane Casey says Lowry has evolved into a leader and Patterson agrees.

“He’s understanding that he is the leader on this team. We pretty much are on his shoulders, he has to carry us game in and game out, whether that’s offensively or defensively making a play. He’s just worked on his game since I first met him and he’s gotten even better than before.”

Lowry’s playing the best basketball of his career, ignoring early December trade rumours to fill up the stat sheet. He leads the league in charges taken and is No. 3 in assist-to-turnover ratio.

His coach thinks it’s time the rest of the NBA recognizes what Lowry and his backcourt-mate have done, especially lately.

“I haven’t said this very much, but I really think we have two guys; DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry that should be talked about as far as all-stars are concerned,” Casey said.

“They are playing like all-stars and as efficient as (any) guards in the East. Kyle Lowry has been totally positive and playing the game the right way and it shows with our team.”