\u201cDon\u2019t let her touch it.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\nFollowing Game 4, she praised her team for being \u201clocked into the details,\u201d citing how their composure, plus the rim protection from Kiah Stokes, was crucial to preventing another Angel masterclass.<\/p>\n
So, knowing Nakase\u2019s mission, how will Dream head coach Karl Smesko put Reese in position to issue a resounding response?<\/p>\n
Considering the connection between Angel\u2019s production and the Dream\u2019s success, surely Smesko will prioritize offensive strategies that feature Angel? Or, aware that Golden State is diverting extra defensive attention to her, should Smesko look to leverage that attention, utilizing Angel\u2019s gravity to generate better opportunities for her Dream teammates?<\/p>\n
The ideal answer for Dream fans is, \u201cYes!\u201d Do both. And more.<\/p>\n
Obviously, it\u2019s easy to suggest that Atlanta needs to get Angel the ball, as she profanely, and rightfully, demanded in Game 2.<\/p>\n
From what spots on the floor would you like to see her operate? Alternatively, how would you like to see Atlanta exploit all the attention on Angel to facilitate scoring chances for her teammates? Furthermore, how do you expect Golden State to try to counter Atlanta\u2019s efforts to get Reese going?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s far from a sophisticated strategy, but I do believe in the power of the Angel 3.<\/p>\n
In the playoffs, the Dream remain undefeated when Angel converts from downtown, extending a pattern that persisted throughout the regular season. Overall, Atlanta is 15-0 when Reese drains a triple.<\/p>\n
Early in Game 4, Angel hesitated when open from behind the arc, passing up an opportunity to fire away as Stokes was stationed in the paint.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s got to take it. As that 15-0 record indicates, an Angel made 3-pointer is worth a lot more than three points. It injects Reese with even more energy. It enlivens her teammates. It deflates the opponent.<\/p>\n
A foundational aspect of Angel\u2019s greatness is her fearlessness, including the fact that she is unafraid to make mistakes. She\u2019s can\u2019t fear a miss, or even an airball. The triples will be available; take them.<\/p>\n
And when Angel ventures inside the arc, seeking out scoring chances as Stokes and the Valkyries seek to stifle her, a similar spirit of offensive aggression must be adapted by her frontcourt partner, Naz Hillmon.<\/p>\n
Unlike with Angel, Naz\u2019s production usually has little correlation with the Dream\u2019s outcome. Even when she goes scoreless or grabs just a few rebounds, she\u2019ll still often own the team\u2019s best plus-minus, an indication of the impact of all the little things she does.<\/p>\n
Yet, things are sure easier for the Dream when Naz does score.<\/p>\n
With Golden State preoccupied with Angel, can Naz take full advantage, using her strength to exploit a lesser defender and beast her way to the basket, cutting into the openings created by Angel\u2019s gravity or crashing the glass for weakside rebounds and putbacks?<\/p>\n
Sometimes, Hillmon is too hesitant around the basket, seeming to recognize that her lack of elite size could make a finish more difficult. As evidenced by Stokes\u2019 Finals-record 13 blocks (and counting), the foundation of the Valkyrie defense is going to swat her share of shots. Hillmon, still, should just go for it, embracing aggression and not fearing rejection.<\/p>\n
In short, I\u2019m looking to Thunder Twins to bring the boom in Ballhalla, playing with a relentlessness that can render irrelevant Golden State\u2019s best-designed defensive game plans.<\/p>\n
In the comments, tell us who you\u2019ll have your eyes on in Game 5.<\/p>\n
Is there a Dreamer or Valkyrie you\u2019re looking at to come through in a bigger, better or different way in order to give her team the 3-2 Finals edge?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As goes Angel Reese, so goes the Atlanta Dream. The Dream\u2019s late-season rise corresponded with Angel\u2019s individual ascendance.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":895297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[99,434,70908],"class_list":["post-895296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-sports","tag-wnba","tag-wnba-playoffs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/895297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}