The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of tough decisions to make this summer. After a second straight, first-round playoff exit, this year in the most embarrassing fashion, Sixers General Manager Ed Stefanski has two options:

Option 1: Shake things up by bringing in a stud player either through a trade, a sign and trade, or the draft. (Call me crazy, but I'm looking at Ben Gordon in a Sixers uniform.)

Option 2: "Take a few steps back to take a step forward," as Andy Reid brilliantly stated after the Philadelphia Eagles catastrophe in Baltimore.

Last year was a pleasant surprise for the Sixers, and taking the Detroit Pistons to game six was considered somewhat of a successful playoff run. This year, the circumstances were similar, only it was the inexperienced Orlando Magic, not the veteran-savy Pistons.

The Sixers followed the same script as last year, fooling us into thinking a second round appearance was not out of the question. But a team can only overachieve for so long before they fall back to earth. In this case, earth was the floor of the Wachovia Center, where the Sixers suffered a brutal loss to a Magic team with no Dwight Howard. Everything that had haunted the Sixers throughout the regular season came back in game six, and it was magnified. No outside shooting. Bad perimeter defense. Failure to score consistently. No sense of urgency. These flaws are what will define the 2008-09 Sixers.

The first problem that needs to be addressed this off season, is Andre Miller. Miller is an unrestricted free agent this year. He has been Mr. Everything for the Sixers for two straight years, but he is aging quickly, and to bring him back next year, the Sixers would most likely have to pay way too much. The fact that Miller conveniently "missed" the team meeting after the game six loss should foreshadow how his situation will work out.

Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala are both rising stars in this league. Both are athletic, tall and can contribute to a team in many ways. Yet, neither is a good ball handler, and both are below-average outside shooters. It's tough to let go of a player with so much potential, but Stefanski needs to seriously consider trading one of the two. Common sense says to trade Iguodala and keep the younger player in Young, yet Stefanski has hinted numerous times at the possibility of trading Young for a shooter, so a trade is not out of the question.

Finally, the coaching position needs to be looked at carefully. It's easy to say that Tony DiLeo did a "great" job after taking over for Maurice Cheeks. Sure, his record was above .500, but his first six games as the Sixers coach were against teams that will be in the top 10 of this year's NBA draft.

A coach can only do so much in football or baseball. When there are more players on the field, it becomes more of an individual thing than a coaching thing. But in basketball, perhaps more than in any other sport, a coach can imprint his style of play on a team and guide them to success. Some of it is the X's and O's of the game, but the often overlooked part of it is the presence and the charisma of a coach.

Phil Jackson, Greg Popvich, Doc Rivers. These are coaches that have won titles recently, and they all share a certain magnetic effect that draws players to them to do whatever it takes to win. DiLeo does not have this quality. He will not be a championship-winning coach in the NBA. It is that simple.

The Sixers are at a crossroads and have a couple of choices. They can take a step back by shaking up the roster and perhaps sacrificing a season without playoffs to better their future, or they can use the "all-out" mindset and make some big moves this summer to bump them up into the upper echelon of the Eastern conference.

They are limited in what they can spend because of Elton Brand's contract, but there are ways to be creative in acquiring players in the NBA. DiLeo did an "okay" job, but he is not the long term solution. This team needs a new voice. A new atmosphere. Whether it's the roster, the coaching staff or free agency, sometimes change for the sake of change isn't such a bad thing.