Maurice Cheeks' faith in players such as Darius Miles backfired on the Blazers coach when his team didn't return the favor. Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images

Mo Cheeks' firing Wednesday is no surprise. The Blazers have been a rudderless ship for months. From locker-room sniping over shot selection to the Darius Miles incident (in which the 23-year-old forward unleashed a profanity-laced tirade at Cheeks at a team practice) it seems as if Portland's players have been running the asylum all season.

Cheeks is known as a good guy and a class act (who can forget his coming to the rescue of the little girl singing the national anthem a couple years ago?). But he was too much of a players' coach for this team, and ultimately it cost him his job. The Blazers too often seemed to treat him as one of their own instead of as the boss. But he supported the plan to make Zach Randolph and Miles the franchise cornerstones, which looks so far to be a huge mistake, so it could be said that he made his own bed.

New coach Kevin Pritchard might not be a household name, but he has a rising reputation around the league. Still, this looks like a temporary move by the Blazers. It will give Pritchard a chance to evaluate the players and the locker room up-close before the end of the season. Then Portland will bring in a big-name coach, while Pritchard will have a better idea of what the team needs.

As for the next coach, look for Flip Saunders to emerge as a top candidate. The Blazers reportedly made a run at him a few years ago before he signed an extension in Minnesota. Phil Jackson also could get in the mix. Paul Allen is one of the few owners who could afford his price tag and the Zen Master might be intrigued by a chance to coach in the Pacific Northwest and for an organization with deep pockets.

As for Cheeks' future, he probably won't be out of work long if he chooses. He could possibly rejoin Larry Brown (with whom he worked in Philadelphia as an assistant) in Detroit if he wanted, or wait until some other assistant gig opens up next season. After all the turmoil he went through in Portland, Cheeks might even want some time off.