The Sixers were eliminated in the second round by Chicago Tuesday night.
"My feeling about the Sixers this season is that they were an overachieving team," Stein said. "People seem to be giving (Carter) a share of the credit for that.
"I have tremendous respect for (Sixers owner) Harold Katz. We've talked in the past about Fred being one of the bright, young stars among assistants. When you ask about the top assistants, he's one of them. I have no problem saying that."
Carter, who has two seasons remaining on his contract, has been a Sixers assistant for four seasons. He spent eight seasons in the league as a player, including six with the Sixers, and was the women's coach at Mount St. Mary's before spending two seasons each as an assistant with Washington, Chicago and Atlanta.
"I feel I've been ready (to be a head coach) for quite some time," Carter said. "I've spent a lot of time preparing, and our playoff experience the last two years has prepared me even more. I feel I'm as prepared as anyone who has never been a head coach in the league.
"I've heard all the lines about guys who put their time in, who have worked from the ground floor up, who have paid their dues. I've done all those things. There are a lot of rungs on the ladder."
BOL FINED FOR TOSSING BALL AT REF
Manute Bol has been fined $1,500 for the ball-tossing incident last Friday night, NBA vice president of operations Rod Thorn announced.
The 76ers' backup center was ejected with 1:24 remaining in Game 2 against the Bulls in their Eastern Conference semifinal. He was called for a foul against the Bulls' Michael Jordan, and while referee Jack Nies was signaling the infraction, Bol tossed the ball at Nies and hit him on the shoulder.
Referee Hue Hollins called a technical foul and the ejection, which carries an automatic fine of $250. Thorn said he decided to levy an additional fine both because Bol threw the ball at Nies and because he stood in the runway and watched the rest of the game, which is against league rules.
"It's over, it's gone," Bol said when contacted about the incident. "I do not want to talk about it."
