Darrell Davis: Raptors boss shares credit

Masai Ujiri is justifiably getting credit for building the Toronto Raptors into NBA finalists.

The Raptors president was roundly criticized during the off-season for trading away star forward DeMar DeRozan and firing long-time head coach Dwane Casey. Ujiri insisted he was intent only on making his team into a championship contender.

The controversial moves paid off: Ujiri promoted assistant coach Nick Nurse and acquired superstar Kawhi Leonard in the DeRozan trade; veteran guard Kyle Lowry played all season with a chip on his shoulder; and, the team seemed tougher as it posted the league’s second-best record this season.

Before opening the best-of-seven championship series against the dynastic Golden State Warriors, Ujiri also did something particularly respectful. He praised the contributions of Casey and DeRozan, insisting the Raptors were only able to reach this level because of their earlier efforts. True. And classy.