New 76ers owner Joshua Harris didn't become a billionaire without making smart business decisions.
Though some might question his desire to own a professional basketball team during an NBA lockout - particularly one that for years has been mired in mediocrity on the court and in a dismal financial state off it - Harris and his group made what appears to be a smart business decision the day they took over the team.
"Ed Stefanski will be leaving the organization, but he will have lots of other opportunities and we wish him nothing but the best," new CEO Adam Aron said at Tuesday's news conference at the Palestra to introduce the new ownership group.
Perhaps telephoning Stefanski only a couple of hours beforehand was not the best way to handle the situation, but the move made good business sense. Stefanski, brought here in December 2007 to replace Billy King, had a year remaining on his contract. He took a reduction in salary before last season when Rod Thorn was brought in by Ed Snider, who undoubtedly was upset with Stefanski's hiring of Eddie Jordan as head coach. Jordan's team lost 55 games and he was fired the day after the final regular-season game.
Besides a new coach, Snider thought the team needed new leadership in the front office. He gave Thorn a hefty, long-term contract, named him president and demoted Stefanski to general manager.
Thorn and Stefanski appeared basically to share the same duties, which further validates Stefanski's ouster. But look deeper, and that departure might - might - be a somewhat bigger blow than the new owners could imagine.
Unlike most, maybe all, NBA teams, the face of the Sixers is not a player, it is their coach - Doug Collins.
There is no nuance of the game that Collins - an NBA lifer, from player to assistant coach to head coach to analyst - hasn't seen. Nor are there many problems he doesn't know how to fix. He is a master technician, has a master's degree in communicating with players, and is committed to loyalty.
For many years, when he was behind the microphone at TNT and TBS, Collins was wooed by NBA teams to become their coach. But Collins looked for only two teams to approach him. One was Chicago, where he coached in the late 1980s, where his children spent most of their formative years, and where, like most places he settles for a while, special bonds were formed.
The other team that intrigued Collins was the Sixers, who had made him the first overall choice in the 1973 NBA draft. Philadelphia is where he spent all eight of his injury-plagued NBA seasons, where he bought his first house and where he "became a man."
Now 60, Collins is where he wants to be. He is coaching a group of players he loves. He lives near his daughter and son-in-law and a couple of his grandchildren. It is the right place at the right time. He is confident in what he knows - as well he should be. Bull-headed? Probably. Headstrong? No doubt.
Many coaches share those characteristics. Collins also shares them with Thorn. And because of that, Stefanski's firing could prove more significant than it appears right now.
Ever see Collins after a game? His hair clings to his head with perspiration. His dress shirt changes color because of the sweat that has poured off his thin frame.
His mind races long after the final horn. When he talks after a game, he remembers every minuscule detail, laments over missed assignments.
Thorn is much the same way. The nervous energy bundled in him during a game rivals that of a child the night before Christmas. He does not hide his emotions during a game even a little bit. After a game, Thorn is usually quick to point out mistakes, sometimes in unflattering ways.
Most times after losses, it's best if Collins and Thorn steer clear of each other. Last season, they did so quite often, sometimes for long stretches. The buffer? Stefanski.
It is not unusual for a coach and president/GM to not see eye-to-eye all the time, but, again, Collins is much more to this organization than merely its coach. Keeping him happy is paramount. Losing Stefanski probably isn't sitting well with Collins. Sure, he said all the right things at Tuesday's news conference, but there certainly seemed to be a tinge of uneasiness.
Maybe it was the newness of the firing. Maybe he wasn't irked at all. Harris and Aron should hope that is the case. As much as they want to move this organization forward, if the face of the franchise isn't happy, what's to say he doesn't grab his keys and head out of town?
"What Doug Collins did with the Philadelphia 76ers last year was almost miraculous," Aron said the other day.
Getting from 27 wins to 41 wins was monumental. Taking that next step, to the 50-win mark, could prove to be even harder, probably impossible without Collins. The new owners appear to know this. Sixers fans must hope that the owners know they must keep their head coach happy.
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