Tag Archives: LCS

Analysis and Opinion

GG Academy vs. CLG Academy, Summer Playoffs Preview

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Golden Guardians Academy and Counter Logic Gaming Academy split their season series 1-1, and GGA only picked up one more win against the rest of the field, finishing 10-8 to CLGA’s 9-9. That paints this as a very close on-paper matchup.

But gold metrics tell a more nuanced story, creating some separation between the teams: GGA actually led all Academy teams in GPR with +0.93, meaning they spent most of their time playing with a gold lead, while CLGA finished 7th in GPR at -0.29. GGA created those leads with the league’s best early game (67.8 EGR); they just failed to close out their leads as much as they should, ending with the 9th-ranked MLR (-12.3), which gives CLGA a window of opportunity, with their 4th-ranked MLR of +6.8.

GGA Key Player

ZionSpartan has been GGA’s best player all split, but not necessarily for his direct ability to carry. Continue reading GG Academy vs. CLG Academy, Summer Playoffs Preview →

Analysis and Opinion

The Most Underrated Players in the LCS

Patreon subscribers had access to this post in advance.

There are always players whose value isn’t well recognized by the broader community, whether that’s because their history weighs against them, or their teammates outshine them, or their play style just isn’t as eye-catching. I have always had a soft spot for these players, championing players like Impact and LirA who have held their teams together without receiving nearly enough credit for their contributions.

Two names stand out for me in this category right now, and they probably aren’t who you’d expect. Continue reading The Most Underrated Players in the LCS →

Analysis and Opinion

LCS 2020 Summer Preseason Power Rankings

The LCS 2020 Summer Split kicks off this Friday, and we’ve seen quite a few changes to the rosters. Aside from Cloud9‘s solid hold on the LCS’s top spot, the balance of power around the league was pretty precarious in Spring, and the movement of players like Doublelift, Dardoch, and Damonte could introduce a lot more volatility, making it hard to predict who might emerge to take a shot at C9 come playoffs.

I foresee a lot of movement from a few mid-tier teams, and a holding pattern from others, which should allow for some leapfrogging and hopefully a tighter pack of contenders looking to dethrone C9.

The following power rankings are my attempt to sort through the rosters and gauge each team’s strength, and where I think they’ll finish by the end of the split. Along the way, I’ll make notes of what I had predicted for Spring, and what actually happened, to provide some context for what I’m thinking now.

Edit: I don’t normally edit this type of analysis after it’s posted, but the Immortals announced an unexpected starting roster on June 10 and I felt compelled to revise accordingly.

Continue reading LCS 2020 Summer Preseason Power Rankings →