Report: Kings will use version of cherry-picker strategy

Remember when Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé proposed using a cherry-picker and playing defense four-on-five?

Well, if you thought that was crazy, Ranadivé will show you.

He just fired Michael Malone, who was doing a heck of a job so far this season.

Suddenly, the cherry-picker doesn’t seem quite so crazy by comparison.

While everyone else is freaking out about Malone’s dismissal, the Kings are plotting their strategy with interim coach Tyron Corbin.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

The owner played the part of a fantasy league owner, treating the Kings like a science experiment. He shared tactical experiences with Malone about coaching his child’s youth team, and pressed him to consider playing four-on-five defense, leaking out a defender for cherry-picking baskets. Some semblance of that strategy is expected to be employed with Corbin now, a source told Yahoo Sports.

It’s happening!

I wonder what “some semblance” means here, though. This is not a style you play halfway. To get the best results, you commit fully while you’re employing it.

And Corbin is spot-on to try this. He knows how to keep a job. As the Kings line up replacement candidates, now is the time to adopt the exact playbook the owner uses with his kid’s team. Now is the time to do whatever the owner wants.