He met with the media before Friday night's game against the Toronto Raptors and, when asked what he was most unhappy about, defense was the first thing that came to his mind.
And given the current state of affairs, he wouldn't guarantee that coach Eddie Jordan's job is safe until the end of the season.
"What's disappointing to me is the defensive end," the general manager said. "I think that's where we have to get better. We're emphasizing that. To me, the players we have in that locker room and what their skill set is, the defensive end will fuel our other end. When I say defense, it's a team defense."I'm very unhappy, but everyone -- coaches, players, myself -- we're all accountable on this whole thing. We review daily. I don't think there's a certain time where you say a change . . . everyone in the organization is accountable."
Stefanski hired the offense-minded Jordan in June and signed him to a three-year deal. Jordan has never been known as a defensive coach. His Washington Wizards were never known for defense.
His Princeton offense seemed to be the drawing card, yet it hasn't worked.
The Sixers are averaging just 97.7 points, with Andre Iguodala's 18.5 points leading the way, but there really hasn't been much pop. Stefanski acknowledged the Sixers are running a "watered down" Princeton offense because of some personnel changes.
But, the problem isn't the offense. It's the Sixers' inability to stop other teams. They are among the league's worst at it.
Before Friday's game, they were last in the league in defending the 3-pointer (41.9 percent opponent accuracy) and were giving up 101.9 points per game. Opponents were also nailing 47.9 percent of their shots from the field.
What's telling is that before Friday's game, the Sixers had allowed 110 points or more seven times this season after doing so only nine times all last season.None of their players is known as a top-notch defender -- from Elton Brand (who didn't appear in the first half Friday because of a stomach virus), to Iguodala, to Lou Williams, to Allen Iverson. Samuel Dalembert is a decent shot blocker, but he isn't a strong defender.
Stefanski admits that if you go by the team's record, he hasn't done a good job, but he thinks the team defense can can be more consistent.
"The thing is being consistent and playing for 48 minutes," said Stefanski, who said the Sixers would only make a trade by the Feb. 18 deadline if it were for the future. "Got to play for 48 minutes, got to win.
"I review it daily. I watch every game again, watch the tape. I talk to the coach every day. You just keep reviewing and looking for ways to get better. To me, the defensive end is real important."Wait and see
While the New Jersey Nets have banned gambling on team flights, in light of the well-publicized locker room gun incident involving Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, Stefanski said he will take his cue from the league. The Arenas-Crittendon incident allegedly started during a card game on a flight home.
According to the Associated Press, proactive Nets president Rod Thorn told the New York Times that his team has never had a problem with gambling, but . . .
Arenas was suspended indefinitely without pay this week after reports surfaced that he displayed several of his guns in the Wizards locker room in response to an ongoing dispute with Crittenton. While the guns apparently were not loaded, bringing a gun into an NBA arena is a no-no.
Nice honor
The cheerleaders from Haddon Heights High School performed before the game. The girls were seen practicing their routine the night before, following the Haddonfield-Haddon Heights girls' basketball game.
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