2019 LPL Spring Split Primer and Power Rankings

#4 – JD Gaming

Roster:

🇨🇳 Zhang “Zoom” Xing-Ran (Top)
🇰🇷 Sung “Flawless” Yeon-jun (Jungle)
🇻🇳 Đỗ “Levi” Duy Khánh (Jungle)
🇨🇳 Pan “xiaohan” Han (Jungle)
🇨🇳 Zeng “YaGao” Qi (Middle)
🇰🇷 Ju “Bvoy” Yeong-hoon (ADC)
🇰🇷 Gu “imp” Seung-bin (ADC)
🇨🇳 Zuo “LvMao” Ming-Hao (Support)

Week 1 Games
vs Rogue Warriors (19th of January) (Beijing)

JD Gaming (JDG) are coming off an insanely successful Summer split where they narrowly went out in the semifinals to IG. The offseason period has brought some losses to JDG however, as they lost star jungler Clid to SK Telecom. Their AD Carry Loken also went to LPL rivals TOPsports Gaming (TOP).

Luckily for JD Gaming they still have some world class players. Their top laner Zoom is one of the better players in his role in the region and was a very good player for them last split. He is their solo top laner so he doesn’t have to worry about a rookie swooping in and taking his spot for now.

Losing Clid was a blow but JDG have responded emphatically by picking up two world-class junglers. They’ve acquired Flawless from Rogue Warriors who had some heroics in the LPL last season and also the innovative carry jungler Levi who spent some time in NA on 100 Thieves Academy. Neither may be quite on Clid’s level individually but the combination of the two gives JDG a lot of flexibility as they have somewhat distinct styles. Xiaohan will also remain on the team but it looks like he still won’t be getting game time this split.

YaGao is JDG’s other star solo laner. He is hyped up by many as the man who could unseat Rookie and you can almost justify these statements when looking at some of his play. I don’t think he’s quite on that level yet but he’s not far off. He is a huge asset to JDG.

Bvoy is most likely a downgrade from Loken. He’s a capable player but isn’t quite on the level of his teammates when compared to the other players in his role. Top teams have role players all the time though and he’s not a bad player by any means so he won’t inhibit JDG’s success. imp hasn’t really found the form he showed when he was crowned world champion in 2014 since that moment. His skill seems to have deteriorated significantly but perhaps he can recapture his old glory on JDG.

LvMao has lost Loken but Bvoy is workable for the accomplished support. He doesn’t have the star power of his other teammates but he’s a good support with a lot of upside so it was a good decision for JDG to keep him on board.

JDG will be looking to maintain the momentum they have from their extraordinary run in the Summer split. It’ll be a difficult road but it’s certainly possible for them to take games off the teams above them. A match they shouldn’t have trouble with is Rogue Warriors (RW) who they are facing in their first match of the split. RW looks like a sorry team this split and they shouldn’t give JDG any trouble.