Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores says her17;s undecided about Stan Van Gundyr17;s future with the franchise.
r1;I wouldnr17;t make a decision without Stan KeiVarae Russell Jersey ,r1; Gores said at halftime of Monday nightr17;s 108-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors. r1;Her17;s been our partner for four years.r1;
Gores said changes need to be made because the team isnr17;t winning enough, adding none will happen until he speaks with Van Gundy. The two are expected to meet next week.
r1;I think he deserves the conversation,r1; Gore said. r1;Her17;s been good for us.r1;
The Pistons are 151-176 under Van Gundy as their coach and president of basketball operations. His 2016 team was swept in the first round of the playoffs.
Detroit (38-43) will finish the season Wednesday night at Chicago, failing to make earn a spot in the postseason for the third time in Van Gundyr17;s four years.
Injuries were a big problem. Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson were only in the lineup together for four games.
r1;We probably need a few more games with them playing on the same team if wer17;re going to be good,r1; Van Gundy said. r1;Still have to own the 38 wins right now. You canr17;t run from that.r1;
Gores isnr17;t necessarily against allowing Van Gundy to lead both the front office and the bench.
r1;I see value in the front office and the court being connected Brad Nortman Jersey ,r1; he said.
The Pistons made a major move trying to shake up their lackluster franchise by sending players and a first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for Griffin. The trade didnr17;t pan out this season, and the 29-year-old forward will have to produce a lot to live up to the $171 million, five-year deal he signed with the Clippers last summer. Griffin has been out with an injured right ankle, following a recent pattern in his career in which he struggled to stay healthy.
Gores defended the deal, saying the franchise now has a superstar. He also said Van Gundy didnr17;t make the move without input from him.
r1;Therer17;s not a big move that Stan made without me,r1; Gores said.
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A Santa Clara County judge ruled Wednesday that San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster will not have to stand trial on domestic violence charges after determining there was no evidence that Foster ever hit his ex-girlfriend.
Judge Nona Klippen said prosecutors didnr17;t meet the burden of probable cause on charges of felony domestic violence and forcefully attempting to dissuade a witness.
Foster was also charged with felony possession of an assault weapon after officers found a Sig Sauer 516 short-barreled rifle in his home while investigating his ex-girlfriendr17;s domestic violence report. That charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.
The 49ers have not allowed Foster to take part in the offseason program while he dealt with these charges and general manager John Lynch had said he would be cut from the team if it was determined that he hit a woman. Foster will be allowed back Thursday now that the domestic violence charges have been dropped.
r1;It has been made clear to Reuben that his place on this team is one that must continue to be earned Aaron Colvin Jersey ,r1; Lynch said. r1;We will continue to monitor the remaining misdemeanor charge.r1;
The prosecutorr17;s office released a statement expressing disappointment in the judger17;s decision.
r1;We are disappointed because the evidence demonstrated that Mr. Foster seriously hurt his girlfriend,r1; the statement said. r1;Some have wondered why we still think Mr. Foster hurt his girlfriend when she said that he didnr17;t. Recantation is common among domestic violence victims. Some are scared, some feel guilty, some are coerced, some need money. Whatever the cause, we move forward on cases when victims falsely recant because we know that if we donr17;t more victims will be hurt.r1;
The accuser Jordan Poyer Jersey , Elissa Ennis, recanted her accusations two days after telling police she was hit in the head eight to 10 times by Foster. She testified at a preliminary hearing last week that the injuries were caused by a fight with another woman and she gave prosecutors video of that fight. She said she lied initially because she wanted retribution after Foster tried to end their relationship.
Klippen said recantations arenr17;t uncommon in domestic violence cases but said there was no supporting evidence in this case that Foster had attacked Ennis.
r1;The injuries appear more consistent with a fight with another woman on a street than with being hit in the head by this defendant,r1; Klippen said while ruling from the bench.
Klippen also pointed to the fact that Ennis appeared r1;unusually calmr1; while making a second 911 call reporting the incident. A bystander who gave her a phone to make the call testified she wasnr17;t frantic and didnr17;t appear to have serious injuries, and there was no evidence of prior abuse. Ennis also testified that she had made false allegations in another case after a boyfriend broke up with her.
Prosecutor Kevin Smith had no comment while leaving the courthouse after the ruling and Foster only gave a thumbs-up before getting into a car with his attorney.
The 49ers drafted Foster 31st overall last year after questions about his health and character caused him to drop from being a possible top 10 pick.
Foster delivered on the field, ranking second on the team with 72 tackles in 10 games as a rookie and looking like a key part of San Franciscor17;s defensive future.
r1;Ir17;m excited to get him back, give him a hug and move forward Kevin Zeitler Jersey ,r1; left tackle Joe Staley said.
Foster was charged in January in Alabama with second-degree marijuana possession before the incident in February that led to this case. Foster is due in court next month for a hearing in his marijuana case.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league will r1;continue to monitor all developments in the matter which remains under review.r1;
