The LCS 2021 Summer Split is fast approaching and with it, fans will be looking to see where their team is ranked. There were certainly some unexpected moves made during the break but overall, most teams are staying the same. Will C9 hold their place at the top? Can the changes Golden Guardians made be enough for them to get out of the cellar? Here are the week 1 LCS 2021 Summer Split Power Rankings.
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10. Golden Guardians
To answer the second question in the introductory paragraph, no they are not out of the cellar, yet. Niles was clearly not ready and Newbie was a strange choice to begin with. That said giving Iconic and Ablazeolive more time to improve is definitely a positive along with the additions of Solo and Chime. Solo will bring much more stability to the top lane as well as adding a strong and much-needed voice. Chime could quietly be one of the better rookies this split as he finally gets his chance. Don’t look for GG to make waves right away but they certainly have the potential to sneak their way into the playoffs.
9. Immortals
With all of the roster changes around the league, this was a team that many expected to make some moves of their own. Instead, it looks as though they are committed to their starting five and going to run with it. For the four newer players this is certainly a sign that Immortals expects them to get better. Then for Xerxe, the hope is that he will be able to get closer to what he was in years past. The issues arise if they don’t get any better because most of the teams that are below them in the standings have. Until they prove differently, they will be sitting near the bottom.
8. FlyQuest
Even with IMT above them in the standings, FlyQuest feel more likely to make a Summer Split push. This is due to the team just having more time to come together, which was a major deterrent for them in the Spring. Licorice likely won’t get dove constantly, Johnson will hopefully get a better version of Diamond or Dreams and the young guns of Palafox and Josedeodo should take steps forward. Truthfully, this team is not yet ready to contend with the top teams but they are certainly putting themselves in a position to progress towards that for 2022.
7. Dignitas
There was a point in time during the Spring Split when many people saw Dignitas as a top two or three team. That time has passed as they struggled down the stretch and showed some gaping holes in their play. Even with all of that, Dignitas are still a solid team and one that should not be taken lightly. They will have to fix their issues in draft and in the late game if they want to have any chance to be sniffing the top once more.
6. CLG
If there was a ranking to get flamed, it is this one. Sure, they finished ninth in the Spring but they didn’t have their full roster playing together for most of it. Then when they did, they were able to take down a few of the top teams. This is not to say that they will even come close to finishing in the top three but, it is not impossible. All five of these veterans have found success throughout most of their careers. Considering they were able to mesh as quickly as they did last Split and are only two games behind Immortals, they should definitely find themselves victorious much more often than not in the Summer.
5. Evil Geniuses
Out with Deftly and in with Danny. The change at ADC was a bit of a surprising one seeing as Deftly really did not perform badly. In fact, he was near the middle of the pack in most statistical categories. Truthfully the issues were more with his inability to be a playmaker than anything. Now with Danny making his way all the way up from EG Prodigies, this team will need some time to come together. Luckily they have 27 games so they could very easily push their way up these rankings as the season goes along.
4. 100 Thieves
Without a doubt the biggest addition this summer was Abbeddage. He comes over from a Schalke team that struggled mightily last Split despite him playing pretty well. Luckily, his new team was really only missing a mid laner. While 100T may not click right away, they will certainly be much better than they were in the Spring. With Abbeddage front and center and Ssumday likely figuring himself out, 100 Thieves are a major threat to the top three teams.
3. TSM
No changes were made during the break for TSM and this is likely for the better. They proved that even when all the cogs weren’t working as intended that they could still find plenty of success. PowerOfEvil and Spica really came into form during the Spring playoffs. The hope will be that they can use that as a springboard for the Summer. While there are still questions surrounding the team and their drafts, TSM are still a very strong team and one that should contend for a title and Worlds spot.
2. Cloud9
Plenty of C9 fans are still shocked about the latest news. The decision to send Zven down and bring up K1ng has been all people are talking about over the past few days. Luckily for C9 fans, K1ng is actually pretty good and likely will be able to contribute right away. C9 are easily the best team in the LCS when things are all in place and working as intended. The shift down is because of K1ng being brought up and while this is not an indictment of his skill, it is more so because of the time it will take for him to adjust to the league and the team.
1. Team Liquid
Even with a backup jungler starting throughout the playoffs, TL were only one game away from taking back their throne. Now with the changes at ADC for C9, TL should be the undisputed best team in the LCS. The only question mark surrounding the team is Tactical. Will he be 2020 Summer Tactical or 2021 Spring? If he plays like he did last Split then TL could find themselves in a bit of a bind as there is no clear option for them to replace him. Even if he struggles, fans should still expect TL to come out hot and looking to remind everyone in the world of just how good they are.
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