When Karl Smesko was announced as the next head coach of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream, the response was positive, but a little perplexed. Fans who knew Smesko from his decades-long tenure coaching at the college level knew he had a pretty solid system that operated mostly in the perimeter. That meant high volume 3-point shots for one, which against isn't a bad thing, but when looking at the current Dream roster ... well that's where the confusion started.
No one on this current Dream roster is really known as a 3-point shooting expert. There are players that certainly can shoot, but that's not what they've built their identity around. Plus, the additions of both Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner in the front court led to more questions: Who would start? How would the spacing work? Would Griner and Jones be shooting from distance?
Smesko's Dream are now 1-1 on their season, having lost a close game to the Washington Mystics and then winning a close game against the Indiana Fever by just one point. Each time they take the court, they seem a little more cohesive in their play. There are improvements to be made, as with most teams two games into a season, but there is a strong base that could see the Dream making the playoffs this season.
The Atlanta Dream are a whole team
One thing the Dream did well against Indiana was playing through Griner and Jones, going back to passing into the post over and over. The Fever (and most teams, honestly) had no match for Griner in the post, and she went to work. Unfortunately she was fouled out down the stretch. Jones was also used in the same way, displaying her quick footwork and crafty finishing ability. A player who looked comfortable in Smesko's system right away was Allisha Gray. In two games Gray averaged 20.5 points, shooting 45 percent from three-point range.
The biggest indicator of the Smesko system is the number of three-point attempts the Dream have taken in two games. Against Washington, the Dream put up 36 three-point shots, making 12 of them (33.3 percent). Against Indiana, they put up 30 shots from distance, making 8 of them (26.7 percent). That's how it's supposed to work — put up as many shots as possible and eventually you will (hopefully) see them go in.
It's worth noting that no WNBA team has ever averaged more than 30 3-point attempts per game for a full season, and only seven times in 28 years has a team topped 27 attempts per game. It's only been two games, but this is already a historic trajectory.
In addition to all the 3s, the Dream are playing about two possessions per 40 minutes faster than they did last season. They're using the strength in the post, but everything else is run and gun.
The Dream got lucky against Indiana. After they led the entire second half with a 10-point lead, they went cold offensively halfway through the fourth quarter. That allowed the Fever to come back thanks to some patented Caitlin Clark shooting, and the Dream just edged out the one-point victory. A lot was working for them the entire game, but they will have to get better at closing out games after the two close endings they've experienced.
Smesko's system, upon first look, seems like it could help this Dream roster unlock some dynamic play this season. If they balance high-volume shooting with solid post-play, especially having the height advantage with Griner, they could perform better than pre-season predictions had them playing.