Lowe, Sidney

Keith Langlois

LAS VEGAS – Sidney Lowe has never worked alongside Dwane Casey, but it’s no mystery to him why Casey’s been such a successful NBA head coach.

“Besides his knowledge of the game and understanding, I think it’s his ability to communicate with players – his ability to communicate with people in general, not just players,” Lowe said. “His demeanor is such that it’s a welcoming demeanor. You feel comfortable talking to him.”

Casey, named NBA Coach of the Year after being accorded the same honor in a vote of his peers, brings on Lowe after his most recent stint as assistant to Scott Brooks in Washington. It’s Lowe’s second tour as a Pistons assistant after serving under Flip Saunders in 2005-06 before taking over as head coach at North Carolina State, where he was part of the 1983 NCAA championship team.

“I’ve never worked with him, but we’ve been friends,” Lowe said. “We’ve crossed paths and I’ve known him for several years. We’ve always kept in touch and I would watch his games and congratulate him on wins, so we had a relationship without really working with each other.”

Lowe, just as Casey did in his introductory press conference two weeks ago, spoke enthusiastically about the talent they���ll inherit in a roster that starts with Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.

“We have athleticism with this team, which you have to have in this league to be able to play defensively and different defensive schemes, switching or doing whatever,” he said. “You have to have athleticism, so I think we check the box there. I think we have guys that can make some shots offensively and that’s stretching the defense out a little more, getting up a few more threes.

“Blake, in particular, getting him to shoot a few more threes, stretch that defense out, and with the big fella, he’s a problem inside. So I think we have the areas covered pretty well in order to score the basketball. I see us being able to do that, being able to push the ball, get easy baskets, get the big fella in there and shoot threes. You’ve got to make threes in this league and I think getting Blake to shoot a few more of those, that’s just going to enhance our offense.”

Griffin is in no danger of becoming a 3-point specialist, though. Rest assured, Casey’s offense will force defenses to deal with Griffin around the basket and decide if he’ll be guarded with one or two defenders.

“If you’re going to guard him one on one, there could be problems,” Lowe said. “Having a guy like Blake to cause problems, cause double teams, cause teams to get into rotations, it opens it up for your other players.”

Lowe’s roots with the Pistons actually precede even his stint with Saunders. He also wore their uniform, spending a month of the 1984 season under Chuck Daly with the nascent Bad Boys. He holds an appreciation for the accomplishments of a franchise with three NBA titles and a history in Detroit that dates back 61 years.

“I was here with coach Saunders and we had some great years, had great teams. We’re planning on hopefully getting that back with coach Casey and just getting these guys wanting to play hard. I think what’s so important for them is to understand the history of this organization.

“When you play for the Pistons or coach for the Pistons, you’re not just coaching for this year. You’re coaching for the past. You’re coaching for all those fans that hung in there with you during the tough times and understand there’s a lot of history here. I’m very excited to be back and very excited to be working with Coach and the rest of the staff.”

And based on everything Lowe knows of Casey, he expects his influence to draw out the best in a talented roster.

“I think what they’re going to get is something that I preach a lot – they’re going to get a coach that’s going to work them. He’s going to work you hard, but he’s going to love you harder. And that’s important. There’s got to be a balance. You have to reach ’em in order to teach ’em. I think he’ll do a great job of that.”

lowe-on-casey-hes-going-to-work-you-hard-but-hes-going-to-love-you-harder

Lowe on Casey: ‘He’s going to work you hard, but he’s going to love you harder’

Pistons.com

DETROIT, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons announced today that Sidney Lowe and Sean Sweeney have been named assistant coaches.  Additionally, DJ Bakker has been added to the basketball operations staff as a player development coach.  Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

                Lowe returns to the Detroit Pistons for the third time during his basketball coaching and playing career.  He spent the 2005-06 season as lead assistant to head coach Flip Saunders and played six games for the Pistons as a point guard on the 1984-85 squad.  The Washington, DC, native and former NBA point guard has spent eight years as a head coach and 12 years as an assistant coach in the NBA and NCAA, most recently serving as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards the last two seasons.  Lowe began his coaching career in 1992, when he became an assistant coach under then-head coach Jimmy Rodgers, eventually being promoted to head coach midway through the 1992-93 season and remaining in the position through the 1993-94 season.  In addition, Lowe served three seasons (2011-14) as an assistant with the Utah Jazz after previously serving as head coach at his alma mater, North Carolina State (2006-11).  In his first season at NC State, he became the third coach in school history to win 20 games and defeat the three other ACC North Carolina institutions (North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest).  

                As a player, Lowe was originally selected by the Chicago Bulls with the first pick of the second round (25thoverall) in the 1983 NBA Draft and spent time with Indiana, Detroit and Atlanta.  He also spent time in the Continental Basketball Association, leading the Albany Patroons and Tampa Bay Thrillers to CBA titles.  Lowe played college basketball under the late Jim Valvano at North Carolina State, earning Final Four All-Tournament honors while helping lead the Wolfpack to the 1983 NCAA Championship.

                Sweeney enters his first season with the Pistons after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with Jason Kidd’s Milwaukee Bucks squads from 2014-18.  The St. Paul native entered the NBA assistant coaching ranks with Kidd as part of this 2013-14 Brooklyn Nets team after serving two season as the Nets’ assistant video coordinator.  Before joining the Nets, Sweeney served as video coordinator for the University of Northern Iowa, and previously held the position of director of basketball operations for the University of Evansville.  Sweeney played one season at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay before transferring to the University of St. Thomas where he was a three-year starter and earned all-conference honors as a senior in 2005-06.

                Bakker served as a member of Dwane Casey’s basketball staff in Toronto the last two seasons as assistant video coordinator and will join the Pistons as a player development coach.

Lowe, Sidney

Lowe on Casey: ‘He’s going to work you hard, but he’s going to love you harder’

Detroit Pistons Name Sidney Lowe and Sean Sweeney Assistant Coaches