The Toronto Raptors haven’t been to the postseason since Vince Carter was still called “Air Canada.” One of the worst teams in the League over the past four years, the Raps are now on top of the Atlantic Division (32-28 through Sunday), have franchise player Chris Bosh extended through at least 2010, and last summer’s No. 1 draft pick, Andrea Bargnani, is a Rookie of the Year candidate.

Morris Peterson is the lone player on the Toronto roster who was around for the height of the Vince Era, when the Raptors went to the Eastern Conference Finals in ‘01. He’s endured the losing and the rebuilding, and now as the organization is seemingly turning the corner, he is Toronto’s elder statesman. The seven-year vet is putting up 10.3 points per game and leads the Raps in three-pointers made (86 through Sunday, one more than Bargnani).

We caught up with Mo Pete a few days ago and talked to him about winning, his off-court businesses, the new Benz, and retiring as a Raptor…

Dime: Last year the Raptors had the fifth-worst record in the League and now you’re on top of your division. What happened between then and now?
Mo Pete: We brought in guys that wanna work, guys that put the team first. Everybody on this team has sacrificed. We all know who our best player is, and it’s Chris Bosh. We play off of him. Jose (Calderon) and T.J. (Ford) have done a great job of keeping guys involved on offense. We just move the ball, man, and we’ve got some dangerous scorers — myself, Anthony Parker, Jorge Garbajosa, Andrea Bargnani … we’ve got guys who can play.
The locker room is a lot different, too. The last couple of years, you could walk around here and you couldn’t get a smile out of anybody. Now it’s a little more relaxed. Guys genuinely care about each other. We’re not getting ahead of ourselves, but when you win it starts to get contagious. You win one game, then you wanna win another one, and another one..

Dime: Speaking of Bargnani, around the time of the Draft, a lot of people — including us — thought you guys made a mistake and should have taken someone like Adam Morrison or LaMarcus Aldridge. What did you think of the pick at the time, and what do you think now?
MP: I thought it was a good pick for us. A seven-footer than can shoot the ball? That’s dangerous. The only person I can think of like that is Dirk, and Jonathan Bender when he first came into the League. That’s rare. I know people aren’t questioning that pick now. It even came out of Dirk’s mouth, where he said Andrea was better than (Dirk) was at that age. That’s big coming from a guy like him.
And [Bargnani] hasn’t even scratched the surface. When he gets more of the face-up game and the post game, man … it’s gonna be scary. Him and Chris Bosh? Oh my goodness!

Dime: How has the tandem point guard situation worked out between T.J. and Jose?
MP: They both really compliment each other. T.J. is a speedy point guard, and excellent passer and an excellent finisher. He’s worked on his shot and it’s getting a lot better; he’s hit some big shots for us this year.
With Jose, you know what you’re gonna get with Jose. You know you’re gonna get a great effort from him. He gets assists, keeps the offense moving, keeps guys involved.
There’s been some nights were both of them had 10 assists. When you’ve got that second point guard playing like a starter, it keeps the offense rolling.

Dime: And you keep getting your looks, too, no matter which one of them is on the court.
MP: [Laughs] Yeah, I still get my looks.

Dime: Do you ever get tired of everyone acting so surprised that the Raptors are good this year?
MP: I mean, a lot of people predicted us to finish last this year. They said we needed a couple more years to develop and this and that. That’s what drives me and what drives this team.
When you start winning, people start jumping aboard and start telling you gow good you are, but in the back of our minds we knew what we had, and we took advantage of it. Bryan Colangelo has done a great job bringing in a great bunch of guys who put the team first.
We expected to win. Even if a lot of people didn’t, we can’t get fat and sassy now. We have to continue to grow.

Dime: The last time you were in Dime, we profiled your car detailing business. How’s that going?
MP: You know what? I didn’t have a lot of time to be there every day, so I ended up selling my shares. I’m definitely gonna get back into the automobile industry in a couple of years, maybe when I get closer to retirement. But my thing is, I have to be around it every day, and since basketball is my number one priority, I wasn’t able to do that.

Dime: While we’re talking about cars, what are you pushing these days?
MP: I’ve actually been chillin’ on the cars. I’ve been getting more into real estate the last couple of years, so I’m spending my money there. I still got my Range Rover, but I’m approaching 30 now; I’m getting my grown man on. I’m not even into rims too much anymore. I’ll get some 10s on there, but I’ll take the drive. I like the drive better.
I am gonna pick up something nice this summer, though. That [Mercedes-Benz] S600? Whoooo! With the kit on it? Man! I’m thinking about getting one of those. I gotta put some nice rims or something on that one if I get it. If we make the playoffs, that will be my present I’ll get with that playoff money.

Dime: You’re gonna be a restricted free agent this summer. So far you’ve spent your whole career in Toronto, and rumors had you close to being traded this year. What’s your feeling on staying in Toronto?
MP: You know, there’s been a lot of ups and downs here, but for the most part a lot of ups. I’ve grown with this organization. When I first came to Toronto, the organization was just five years old or something, so I’ve been here longer than half of its existence. (Note: the Raptors are 12 years old; Mo Pete has been with the team for 7 years.) It’s something special; you don’t see too many guys staying with the same organization in pro sports, but that’s how it’s worked out for me so far. And I love the direction this organization is headed. Now that we’re starting to win, it’s even more exciting. If things work out, you know, I wouldn’t mind finishing my career as a Raptor.