100 Thieves, despite what fans may think, have positioned themselves for a playoff push sitting at 3-7. While the team continues to struggle to pick up wins for their playoff chances, their recent performances leave quite a bit on the table. The team have won 3 of their last 5 games. Starting out the season at 0-5 and just introducing a new roster, they started to pick up their first wins in over 100 days. 100 Thieves have quite a lot ahead of them. With a potential playoff berth on the horizon, there are reasons to root for the Thieves.
The Road Ahead
Going in to their week last week, 100 Thieves faced off against Team SoloMid and Team Liquid. Both of these teams are regarded as top teams here in North America. Despite those high praises, 100 Thieves held their own against Team Liquid in spite of many mistakes made throughout the game. The Team SoloMid game went a bit differently however. Even against Cloud9, yet another top team, 100 Thieves were able to abuse a poor draft and win against a top team.
Heading in to Week 6, 100 Thieves are primed to pick up more wins for their playoff push starting with Optic Gaming. Coming off a loss against FlyQuest in Week 5, Optic Gaming have shown signs of weakness despite a great record. The first time the two teams faced off, in Week 1, 100 Thieves had been fielding a different roster at the time. With their newest additions of Aaron “FakeGod” Lee and Ryu “Ryu” Sang-wook, they have looked much stronger these last few weeks. If anything, Optic Gaming’s first win could mean very little heading into their match in Week 6.
Echo Fox, while not as strong as other teams in the league, did give 100 Thieves a run for their money despite the team picking up their first win against them. If anything, changes to the jungle role could see Echo Fox with a bit more bite to their bark heading into the rematch in Week 6.
100 Thieves And Their Magic Number
Sitting at 3-7, 100 Thieves have gone 3-2 in their last five games. Against the odds, the team isn’t well stacked for a playoff push. Currently sitting in 8th place, 100 Thieves have a tough road to climb. With 6th being the lowest they can place, a measly 8-10 finish could see them heading in to playoffs. Realistically, the Thieves would like to go 6-2 or better in the coming weeks, but the past has shown 8-10 to be enough for playoff, just barely.
Going 10-8 or 9-9 in their last few weeks of play could all but guarantee them a spot in playoffs with how the current standings sit. Two games behind Golden Guardians, 100 Thieves would need to take a win off the Guardians to stay in the race for playoffs. The problem 100 Thieves currently face is how many games are left this split. With eight more games ahead of them, the Thieves simply cannot risk losing from here on out. At best, the team squeaks into playoffs at the 6th place mark. Realistically, if they can’t form wins consistently enough, this might the last fans see of 100 Thieves this split in regards to being competitive.
All Is Not Lost
100 Thieves could finish their regular split out with a chance at playoffs, it’s entirely possible. Most would believe it to be improbable, however. If 100 Thieves fail to make playoffs for the Summer Season, it isn’t over. The world won’t come crashing down.
Chances are changes will be coming with or without a playoff appearance heading in to the 2020 Spring Season. 100 Thieves don’t have many options. From going to playoff finalists to bottom of the barrel over two years, the Thieves aren’t happy. The team and their staff won’t sit idly by, twiddling their thumbs waiting for better days. Players will come and go, staff will change and the team will continue to hold high expectations. While the future may look dim, 100 Thieves can only try to go up from here.
Featured Image Courtesy Of 100 Thieves Twitter
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