With the 2019 LCS Spring Finals wrapped up, teams have some time off before the Summer Split kicks off. The rest is well-deserved, as this year’s competition has been highly competitive. The intensity is expected to carry over into the Summer Split, considering the amount of talent on each roster.
Nonetheless, the competition this year has brought the best out in a lot of star players, so here are five to watch in the near future.
Image Courtesy of Riot Games
Aside from Jake ‘Xmithie’ Puchero, Svenskeren has been the most impactful jungler in North America. His champion pool has been on point, his positioning is typically great and he establishes proper pressure in the jungle. It was clear that his presence on the map was a big factor in Cloud9’s fantastic split.
When matched up against tougher opponents like Team Liquid, Svenskeren began to make riskier plays, such as invading the enemy jungle, to get himself further ahead. This can be one of his downsides in the jungle, however his teammates can typically keep them in the game. Despite his ‘hypey’ playstyle, Svenskeren is one of the most sound junglers in the LCS and will have another great split this coming summer.
Image Courtesy of LoL Esports Flickr
Broken Blade had a very impressive Spring Split in his first LCS season. His performance put him among some top-quality talent, as he was named to the third All-Pro LCS Team. This translated well to the playoffs where he was the focal point of TSM’s game plan. Establishing a lead for Broken Blade allowed him to snowball into the later-stages of the game and carry them to victory. He also played great against other top-class opponents, such as Jung ‘Impact’ Eon-yeong and Eric ‘Licorice’ Ritchie.
Since he has incredibly high carry potential, Broken Blade is subject to a lot of focus from the enemy team. This can sometimes cause him to drop off in crucial moments of the game, leading to lack of damage from TSM. However, getting Broken Blade ahead allows TSM to play more aggressive. Their aggressive style of play makes him a perfect fit in the top lane, and he should have a breakout Summer Split because of it.
Image Courtesy of @TeamLiquidLoL on Twitter
CoreJJ was easily the most consistent player in the LCS during the Spring Split and he was named MVP because of it. The same can be said about his champion pool, as he only played five different champions throughout the regular season. On each champion, he totaled positive K/D/A’s, as well as outstanding kill-participation percentages. It seems CoreJJ is the most polished support in North America, and with the most polished ADC by his side, he becomes even more lethal.
Even against other top opponents, it’s never expected to see CoreJJ lose lane. His senses are unlike any other in the bot lane, making him the perfect support to play with. It’s no wonder why Team Liquid won the spring title considering the sheer talent in their bot lane duo.
Image Courtesy of LoL Esports Flickr
Bjergsen was undoubtedly the MVP for TSM during the Spring Split. His laser-focus helped guide them to an 11-1 run to close out the regular season, and put them in third place. This momentum kept going into the playoffs, where Bjergsen dominated all opponents in the first two rounds. His play carried them all the way to the Spring Finals and he continued to take over. TSM won the first two matches of the finals solely because of Bjergsen’s playmaking abilities.
It seemed that Bjergsen was the driving force for TSM all season-long and will most likely continue his efforts in the summer. There isn’t another mid-laner in North America that can match his talents, unless one emerges in the coming months. Either way, Bjergsen has been one of the most prolific forces on the rift this season.
Image Courtesy of LoL Esports Flickr
There weren’t many players that were on the same level as Doublelift during the Spring Split. His play in the bot lane was second to none this season, putting Team Liquid at the top of the LCS. There was plenty of negative energy around Team Liquid going into the playoffs, but Doublelift managed to silence every nay-sayer in the end by securing the spring title and finals MVP.
Doublelift was on his A-game all season long, tallying incredible scorelines week in and week out. He showed up against tough opponents, but sometimes his positioning led to getting caught. This was rarely the case, however it was the most noticeable flaw in his play.
Other than that, Doublelift was one of the biggest factors in Team Liquid’s 7-0 start to the season, as well as their come-from-behind win in the finals against TSM. Now with his sixth LCS championship under his belt, Doublelift is ready to shatter all future expectations.
Featured Image Courtesy of Riot Games.
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