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Sixers fans cut Stefanski some slack, Iguodala not so much

"Darling, you've got to let me know. Should I stay or should I go? "If I go there will be trouble, but if I stay it will be double.

In a recent online poll, 68.3 percent of Sixers fans wanted GM Ed Stefanski gone. (Yong Kim/Staff file photo)
In a recent online poll, 68.3 percent of Sixers fans wanted GM Ed Stefanski gone. (Yong Kim/Staff file photo)Read more

"Darling, you've got to let me know. Should I stay or should I go?

"If I go there will be trouble, but if I stay it will be double.

"So come on and let me know, should I stay or should I go?"

- The Clash, 1982.

What we already know is that the Sixers are going to make some changes during this offseason.

Nobody is kidding themselves that a 41-41 record and a first-round loss to the Miami Heat in the playoffs are where the Sixers organization wants to stay.

People will come and people will go, and what Philly.com asked Sixers fans on Wednesday is who deserves another shot in South Philadelphia and who should be skipping out of town.

From players to executives, you had your say. Perhaps the most surprising result was that general manager Ed Stefanski, the man who has had the biggest fingerprint on this current team, wasn't nearly as unpopular as expected.

Stefanski has had a lot of anger directed his way over the past 3 years, but of the 1,950 people who voted on him only 68.3 percent said he should go.

Certainly that is a big number, but considering he is the guy who gave Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand their extremely unpopular $80-plus million contracts, I honestly would not have been surprised if that number had checked in the 90 percent range.

As it is, more voters want to see Iguodala leave town for taking the money, rather than the guy who offered it to him.

Stefanski is an interesting study.

While he's made some shaky moves - most notably the disastrous hiring of Eddie Jordan as coach in 2009 - Stefanski also hired Doug Collins before he had his powers as team president removed.

And if you like what the Sixers did and truly believe they are headed in the right direction, then Stefanski, by hook or by crook, is the guy who put this group together.

Sixers president Rod Thorn is one of the most respected minds in NBA history, but rarely has anyone who has done so little received so much love.

Thorn was not named Stefanski's successor as Sixers president until August - long after Collins had been hired and Evan Turner was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

The only player transactions that Thorn, who built the New Jersey Nets into NBA Finals team in 2002 and 2003, made after the opening roster was set was sending rookie Craig Brackins to the Developmental League for a couple of stints and signing veteran guard Antonio Daniels just before the regular season ended.

Despite Thorn spending the entire season "evaluating," 78 percent of the voters believe Thorn should stay and have a chance to do some work.

Thorn will have to be creative because the Sixers have no salary-cap space to sign a big-time free agent and the 16th pick in what is considered an average draft.

His first real decisions will concern making qualifying offers to center Spencer Hawes ($4.5 million) and forward Thaddeus Young ($3.9 million) or let them become unrestricted free agents.

Young is a keeper in the view of fans as 95.9 percent voted that he stay a Sixer.

Hawes is a little more than a break-even proposition with 54.8 percent willing to see if the young center can develop and 45.2 percent deciding they've already seen enough.

Keeping both would push the payroll from $53.9 million to just over $62 million.

The salary cap for the 2010-11 season was $58.04 million, but with a lockout looming, that could drop.

Perhaps the most surprising result is that Collins, the man who has become the face of the Sixers for orchestrating a turnaround season, isn't the guy Sixers fans are most pressed to keep.

Despite 98.2 percent of 2,148 voters saying Collins should stay, he was second to 20-year-old point guard Jrue Holiday, who got a 98.6 percent favorable review from 2,345 voters.

You can't get 100 percent of Philadelphians to agree on anything, but nearly 99 percent of Sixers fans believe Holiday is vital to the franchise's future.

Sixers fans also are willing to be patient with Turner, who had what can be best described as an up-and-down season.

A strong segment of fans still have faith that Turner can become a solid player for the Sixers with 92.7 percent of 2,420 voters wanting him to stay.

Of the two ultra high-priced veterans, Brand seems to have gotten back in the fans' graces with 77.7 percent of them appreciating his hard work ethic.

Iguodala isn't the player most fans want to divorce themselves from.

Andres Nocioni (84.1 percent) and Marresse Speights (72.3 percent) are more favored for removal, but it is clearer than ever that Iguodala simply isn't going to win over this town.

More fans (2,643) casted votes about Iguodala than any other Sixer and 70.5 percent agree he never will be the face of the franchise and it's time to part ways.

Send email to smallwj@phillynews.com.