With the vast changes brought in during the stove league, fans and officials were hyped for what the LCK would bring in 2019. And just as they hoped, the Spring Split has been a fray of intense and heated matches - yet despite this, the team standings have remained more or less unchanged compared to the beginning of the split.
However, the lack of rank changes hasn't made the recent LCK battles any less exciting. Similar to our last week 1-3, All-Pro Team, we had to go through some 'pleasant problem-solving' this time as well. It was very tough for us to choose just 5 representatives among the long list of remarkable players. The following is Inven Global's 2019 LCK Spring, All-Pro Team for week 4-7.
Although their rather disappointing Spring Split record, Afreeca Freecs is indeed the team that tried out the most experiments in this LCK. Yes, as a fan, I agree that those unpredictable changes that this team brought inside the game were something to watch. Some were successful whereas some weren't, but without being said, the most fascinating thing to watch during an "Afreeca Freecs match" was their top laner, Kiin displaying exceptional performance game after game. Kiin has been consistently exceptional throughout 2018, and he is still displaying the same amount of performance this year even though his team is underperforming.
Besides his overall performance, Kiin is also embracing some changes himself as well. Up to week 7, he has used a total of 17 champions in the 2019 LCK Spring; Kiin already used 6 more champions compared to his 2018 Spring regular split. The 17 champions he used this year include some surprising pocket 'marksmen' picks such as Lucian and Vayne. Despite the fact that his win rate on those champions is below 50%, he still proved that he is capable of single-handedly carrying his team during the games he won.
Tarzan seems to currently lack nothing as a jungler. His versatility gives so much to Griffin. He knows how do dominate the game using aggressive, early game champs. On the other hand, he is also capable of performing on tanks such as Zac and Sejuani.
This Spring, it's hard to see Tarzan over-committing to plays. It is true that his stability didn't get enough spotlight since his mid laner, Chovy was on a phenomenal KDA run. However, Tarzan's KDA is also remarkable, especially his average death per game. His death per game is near 1 and is on 1st place among the LCK junglers. His safe and composed plays were definitely a big help for Griffin when they were on a disadvantage during games.
Recently, former Kingzone bottom laner, PraY said in his live stream that, "When you meet Tarzan as an opponent in solo queue, it means your doomed. Look at his win rate! Some are up to 80% which means you have only 20% of winning." But what makes him more frightening is his perfect transition from solo queue to official matches which a lot of amateur players have failed to do in the past. Now all he needs to do is lead his team to the LCK title. Things look quite different compared to last year where Griffin had to suffer a frustrating defeat in the Summer Finals due to a lack of experience; this time they are indeed the number 1 contenders for the LCK trophy.
There is a lot to say when talking about how Griffin is so dominant this split, but if I had to choose one reason why they've been so good, I'd say Chovy's absolute laning abilities helped them the most. It's hard to point out a single game where he was actually behind in his lane matchup up to week 7.
His aggressive laning creates numerous options for his teammates. Because of his laning, Tarzan-Lehends can team up and roam across the map. He knows how to play safe but at the same time is ready to deliver those insane mechanics. Him going 1 versus 2, 3 and even 4, dodging all their skills, securing a kill and surviving is definitely something to watch.
Chovy - now a sophomore in the LCK - seems like an already highly experienced veteran player. Although he is yet young, his performance is second to none in the LCK. He is currently the clear-cut favorite in the MVP race.
With Deft moving to Kingzone this year, fans were skeptical about whether he'll be able to deliver the same amount of performance he showed in KT. Despite all the controversy, Deft has just been playing magnificent this split. With his new partner, TusiN, he instantly made Kingzone a team with the strongest bottom duo in the current LCK. Deft and TusiN's aggressive plays seem to have quite a good synergy with each other.
One concern was that Kingzone seemed to be too focusing on their bottom lane. Yes, it is reasonable to give full support to their best performing lane but it could be quite a big burden for Deft and TusiN to bear especially in the playoffs when they go into bo5s. It's a relief that Rascal, Cuzz, and PawN are performing much better compared to the beginning of the split. This will indeed be a huge help for Deft since he had to be the main carry in numerous Kingzone's wins this Spring.
Mata did not perform at his best at the beginning of the split. He might have had to go through pressure or he might have just hit a short slump, nevertheless, he was a bit hasty at times and overplayed. However, recently, Mata finally seemed to have adjusted fully to his new team. He is starting to recover the solid all-around performance he has been delivering throughout his career.
The most positive thing is that Mata is stepping up for his team as the main shot caller. The two veterans for the team, Mata and Faker have been SKT's main shot callers this Spring. When SKT is at quite a tough situation inside the game, you can see the two, especially Mata, maintaining his composure and calmly sharing information with his teammates. Now that Mata has successfully made his adjustments in SKT, we might see more from them in their race in the playoffs.
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- Yudae "Akiin" Oak
- Email : akiin@inven.co.kr
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