As of yesterday, the LA Valiant are down another coach. The team parted ways with Don-su “Dongsu” Shin, who joined the Valiant last season at the same time as now-interim Head Coach Mike “Packing10” Szklanny. This move might seem relatively minor, but it could tell us a thing or two about the direction the Valiant are moving next.
Sometimes, less is more. Many teams (like the London Spitfire and Seoul Dynasty) have found great success by trimming excess fat and letting fewer cooks into the kitchen, so to speak – and it’s no stretch to assume the Valiant could do the same. If team management is happy with Packing10’s performance so far, and he says Dongsu has to go, well… there’s the door, right?
2018-04-25 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
The LA Valiant made it clear that Fate’s contract was on the metaphorical table in the break between Stages 1 and 2. While that particular trade fell through, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the team stopped shopping for a new main tank. With their primary Korean coach packing his bags, the Valiant could be looking to trade Fate away for an English-speaking front-liner, especially if his market value is high. (Though I don’t think they’ll go for Fusions again… maybe Trill? Muma?They’ve got options, really.) The Valiant could even swap Kuki back to main tank, given his fluency in English.
In addition the potential for a new leading man, the Valiant could be settling down further west, and moving for an all NA/EU roster. While that means dire things for Fate, Kariv, and Izayaki, it would certainly be interesting to see what sort of roster the team could craft, and how it would perform sans language barrier. Many might call it a foolish move, but weirder things have happened, and there’s no shortage of western talent on the market right now.
What do you think the Valiant should do? Is Packing10 doing enough at the helm, or should they keep shopping for a head coach? Is Dongsu’s departure a deathknell for Fate’s fortunes in LA, or will the team stick with their veteran star? Will all of the team’s Korean talent be looking for new homes? As always, you should let us know your thoughts on these rhetorical questions on Twitter @TGHEsports!
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Featured Image Courtesy of Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment.
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