NBA notebook: Pistons fire Van Gundy

[May 08, 2018]  After four seasons, zero playoff wins and a .463 winning percentage, Stan Van Gundy is out in Detroit.

The Pistons announced Monday that Van Gundy has been relieved of his duties as both head coach and president of basketball operations. According to the release, Van Gundy had a year remaining on his contract and "wanted to return."

After going 32-50 in 2014-15, Van Gundy's first season, the Pistons appeared to turn a corner the following campaign. They went 44-38 in the regular season and made the postseason for the first time in seven years. They were swept in the first round by Cleveland.

Over the last two seasons, Detroit won just 37 and 39 games, failing to make the postseason both times. The Pistons acquired Blake Griffin in a blockbuster trade on Jan. 29 but went just 17-17 after the trade, with Griffin missing nine games in that time.

--Facing elimination, the Utah Jazz will be without two of their regulars for Game 5 against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.

Guards Ricky Rubio and Dante Exum are sidelined due to strained left hamstrings. The Jazz updated their status for Tuesday but did not indicate a timetable for either to return.

Exum got hurt Sunday in the third quarter of the Jazz's 100-87 defeat in Salt Lake City. Rubio has missed the first four games against the Rockets.

--Golden State Warriors backup guard Patrick McCaw is targeting a return in the playoffs.

"That is a goal, definitely," McCaw told The Undefeated. "I definitely want to be back this season. That is my main goal."

Recovering from a scary spinal bruise that has sidelined him since March, McCaw was cleared by the team to start "modified on-court shooting and running drills." He is scheduled to be evaluated again at the end of May. The NBA Finals begin May 31.

--Kobe Bryant, one of Philadelphia's proud sons, shared some advice intended to help 76ers point guard Ben Simmons take his game to the next level: Rebuild your jump shot.

"Just aesthetically, I would say build that thing anew," Bryant said in a FOX Sports interview.

Simmons was 0-for-4 from the field in Game 2 and scored one point against the Boston Celtics in the second-round playoff series. He made 8 of 14 shots in Game 3, but the 76ers fell behind 3-0 as the Celtics continually gave Simmons room to shoot.

--Oklahoma's Trae Young, Duke's Marvin Bagley III, Texas' Mohamed Bamba and Alabama's Collin Sexton headline the list of prospects who will participate in the NBA Draft Combine from May 16-20.

One top prospect who won't be there is potential No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton of Arizona, who declined his invitation and is expected to work out for a few teams near the top of the board after the May 15 draft lottery.

Texas A&M big man Robert Williams, a potential lottery pick, and a few top European players are among the other prominent names who declined invitations. Slovenian forward Luka Doncic -- another contender to go first overall -- will be unable to attend as his Real Madrid team is currently playing in the EuroLeague playoffs. Bosnian forward Dzanan Musa, who plays for Cedevita of the Croatian League and is a likely first-round pick, also declined an invitation.

--The Bay Area sportscaster and former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver accused of stealing the jacket of a member of the Golden State Warriors' security staff has resigned, ABC affiliate KGO-TV announced last weekend.

In a statement, KGO stated that Mike Shumann admitting to taking the jacket of Warriors director of team security Ralph Walker as Shumann left the AT&T Center in San Antonio following practice last month.

Shumann had been with the station for 24 years.

--Field Level Media

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