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By definition, a person is found guilty of assault in the third degree in New York, if they intentionally or recklessly cause injury to another person or if they are criminally negligent with a weapon.
The Raptors waited a few days after the Davis arrest before making any comment at all. Their initial silence was uncomfortable. Then they released a rather innocuous statement, not really saying anything that mattered. In Webster’s availability on Tuesday he was asked a limited number of questions about the Davis situation, including whether he thought the team was acting hypocritically by bringing him back for his second season.
Webster’s answers weren’t exactly clear — with this proviso, his background is in basketball, not in social matters such as this.
He was clear, though, that in his mind the Raptors had done their due diligence on the matter, which is now in the hands of the NBA and the NBA Players’ Association. “We’ve done as much due diligence as we can,” he said. “That may feel a bit unsatisfying but we need to be respectful of the process.”
No one in Toronto seemed to care much about the process when Osuna won a World Series with the Astros. It wasn’t thought about as a lost opportunity. It was more like: who cares about Osuna anymore?
Most people seemed more pleased that he was no longer associated with Toronto or the Blue Jays.
It’s entirely possible the Raptors won’t play any games in Toronto this season, having been forced to move elsewhere as COVID-19 continues to play havoc with our lives and their lives. And Davis won’t have to worry about crossing the border with legal restrictions of any kind.
Potentially, Davis is another undrafted find for the Raptors, having scored 31 points and 20 points in games last February and having shown great energy and athleticism on the court. He has considerable talent. The basketball court works for him.
And that isn’t the court that matters right now. His next court date in New York is Dec. 11. Maybe then the Raptors will say something or do something that matters. Maybe then, maybe not.
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