LCS 2020 Summer Split: Storylines to Watch for Each Team
By s. samek
The LCS returns and with it a set of storylines we should follow for every team.
Team Liquid: Are the former champs down or out?
Team Liquid had the biggest fall of any LCS team during the 2020 Spring Split as they went from four-time champions to ninth place. So during the offseason, they added a new coach and got rid of an underperforming Doublelift.
Even with the ninth place finish they still only finished a game behind the sixth through eighth-placed teams. With the extended playoff field they could have a chance to contend for a spot and their lineup is still solid. They have to perform better than they did during spring.
Are they going to contend for the top slot? I doubt it unless every player finds their peak form and we see a quick evaluation of Edward “Tactical” Ral into the next great NA ADC. Yet I don’t feel this is a ninth-place team. I think the knockdown into ninth will be a wakeup call for this team and they should have enough firepower to fight for a spot in the upper bracket of the summer playoffs.
Immortals: A new era of mediocrity?
Immortals reentered the league looking to be dominant agin, but instead, there was lots of mediocrity and a sub .500 record, plus a tie breaker loss to miss the playoffs. Sadly, that’s closer to the playoffs then I thought they would get.
During the offseason, they didn’t make any roster changes to a lineup that leaves a lot to be desired from spring. Golden Guardians and Dignitas, the teams that tied with Immortals in the standings, should be slightly better teams during the summer thanks to their offseason moves. That means, in all likelihood, Immortals should fall out of the playoffs this split.
TSM: Will they miss Worlds again?
TSM went 9-9 with a roller coaster of a spilt finishing in fifth, before finishing fourth in the playoffs. Not bad finishes, but this is TSM so they probably want more out of such a strong line-up.
To try and fix that, TSM made the biggest move of the offseason getting ADC Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, before letting Dardoch go. So overall you might have a slightly better roster than you did during spring. Will it be enough to get you through the playoffs though?
I think TSM is capable of making a run at a Worlds spot with its new lineup. I could also see them failing in the playoffs much like they did last year as well. It will be interesting to see which TSM team shows up and if they miss Worlds for a third year in a row.
Next. One big question for every LCS team. dark