Ask Ed: Stefanski Answers Your Questions

Do you have a question for Ed? Email your question to 76ersmailbag@comcast-spectacor.com and Ed will answer the best ones in a future edition of Ask Ed.

Posted March 15

Why did we sign Calvin Booth? What is his contract situation; can we release him at year's end? - Anonymous

Calvin has another year left with the Sixers and has played well this season when called on. He gave us great minutes against Shaq, Dwight Howard and Eddy Curry. He’s been solid for us when Sam has gotten into foul trouble.

Is Shav done, he looked not to bad and looks like he can give some energy and maybe like 8 minutes per game? - Anonymous

Shav is truly a high-energy player that can give you some productive play in spots. No, he certainly is not done. He's simply a young player working to find a place in this league. Not to mention, he was really set-back by the ankle he fractured last season. Both recovery and development take time.

You seem like a great hire for GM and the perfect guy for the job, could you see yourself being here very, very long-term? - Anonymous

Could I see myself being here long term? I've been here for 53 years and don't plan on going anywhere any time soon. I love this area! It’s my home. Even when I worked with the Nets, I did the commute to my house in Wayne. From Bonner to Penn to where I am now, I've always been dug in here.

Are you a big Phillies, Flyers, and Eagles fan? - Anonymous

I'm a huge fan of all the teams in the Philly area. My passion for the teams here is great and has been all my life! I follow every pro team in the city daily and have for my whole life!

Ed, I was watching your press conference yesterday and I think you hit the nail on the head when you said, this is a fun team to watch. I definitely agree, this is a special group of guys that always make the game enjoyable to watch and it’s been great seeing them improve all year! I think the only thing this team is missing is a 3-point shooter; do you plan on acquiring one this offseason? - Dave

Indeed this is a fun team to watch. If I was working for another team in the league, I think I'd still secretly root for these guys, because of their energy, passion and skill. To answer your question, If you look around the NBA you see players that have developed their outside shot, getting better with time, practice and experience. I am confident that Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, Willie Green and Rodney Carney will only get better.

Welcome back to Philadelphia! Are any players considered as "untouchable"? - Rich

In my lifetime I've seen Wayne Gretzky and Wilt get traded, so to say a player is untouchable is going over the top. However, we're lucky to have some guys that I see as the future of this franchise. I feel our young core players are the building blocks for our team and the fact our vets have come together with them is something to note. I’m excited about the team we have now.

Hi Ed, I am a huge Sixers fan, but the Korver move you made just does not make sense to me. I felt that before you came on, the team was closer to success than most people thought. The Korver trade indicated to me a rebuild. Please explain why he was traded? - Phil

Kyle is a good basketball player and an even better person, so you just hate to lose a guy like that. But the move gave us salary cap space this summer and allowed Thad Young to grow as a player. Trading Kyle opened up minutes for Thad and Thad wouldn’t have had the chance to develop into the player he has become if not for that playing time. And, again, we feel comfortable with the room we have under the salary cap this offseason.

Hi Ed, what do you think the chances are that you will re-sign Louis Williams this off-season? - Matt

Lou is a terrific young player and we see him as a part of our future. When a player is a restricted free agent they’re entitled to shop the market and inquire about other deals, but their current team has the right to match any offer they get. I’ll sit down with Lou’s agent on July 1 and we’ll discuss his situation.

When he was coming out of high school and going into college, Thaddeus Young was as much heralded as Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. I truly believe the Sixers got a diamond and are using him like coal. No plays are run for him and yet he is easily the most athletic and talented forward on the squad. He is a true small forward with tons of talent and he is also very intelligent from his excellent GPA in college. He is only 19 and will probably grow a couple more inches and add 25 pounds or so. He can shoot and he is tremendously talented. I would like to see him featured more in the offense and get more than 6 shots a game. - Raymond

I think before I arrived, Thad was learning and coming along as most rookies do. However, one of the first things we talked about in December when I got here was getting our young players on the floor, and that included Thad. He is an integral part of the team now because of the chance he’s had to play and learn through being on the court. He's got great length and athletic ability and a feel around the basket which is not something you see too often in rookies. Not to mention he's a terrific young man.

What are the chances of signing Andre Miller to maybe like a three year extension after this season, knowing that he is one of the top 10 point guards in the league? - Anonymous

Andre Miller is a very good ball player and the glue to our team. He is helping the veterans integrate with our younger players and helping our younger players develop. When I was in Jersey, and that's just a short trip up the turnpike, I saw him as a good player, but since I've been here and had a chance to see him up close, I’ve realized he’s better than good. He’s got one year left with us and we’ll talk with his agent after that.