With the Spring Split approaching the playoff stage, we are now starting to get a clearer picture of who looks like they are going to enter the final phases of the split with some momentum, and who is either going to limp into the playoffs or risk missing out altogether. Here we take a look at a few teams who are on the rise or fall as we approach the last few games of the regular split.
Beware the Fox
Don’t let Echo Fox’s week 7 results fool you; they are one of the form teams in the NA LCS right now. TSM and Immortals was a tough week for a squad that has only had a few weeks together with their full roster, and prior to last week they had gone 2 – 0 in weeks 5 and 6. Kfo and Froggen returning to the lineup has added some real firepower to an Echo Fox roster that has a solid base with Keith and Big anchoring the bot lane and Hard providing some consistent early game presence in the jungle, whereas without these two players Echo Fox lacked a little bit for individual skill and playmaking.
Week 7 acted as a wake up call a little bit for this team, proving that whilst they are a vastly improved roster they are not quite top 3 material yet. Then next couple of weeks throw a mix of fixtures Echo Fox’s way, with bottom feeders Dig and Renegades coming alongside games with CLG and C9. If Echo Fox can put away the two easier fixtures, focusing on being able to take at least one of remaining games against CLG and C9 could see Echo Fox sneak into the playoffs. They will need Liquid and NRG to drop games though, so their destiny is not quite in their hands.
TSM Flounder Again
TSM’s mid season revival was predicted and expected by many, but the stuttering after, going 1 – 3 in the last 2 weeks, was more surprising. Dropping games against teams like Dig and Liquid is not good enough for TSM, and they risk falling even further down the standings and occupying a lower seed for the playoff draw.
It is so hard to judge where TSM are at right now due to the fact they seem capable of losing to anyone. You would have said after TSM started to pick up mid season that Dig and Liquid weren’t teams that would give them much trouble, but now you wouldn’t want to give TSM too much credit against anyone. Bjergsen is having a poor season, Doublelift is up and down once he gets past the laning phase, and Hauntzer has been the real consistent carry force for TSM. They will need at least one more of these stars to improve for a deep playoff run to become a reality.
Inconsistent Origen
Soaz being capable of going 8 – 0 – 9 on Quinn one game to 1 – 8 – 1 the very next day is indicative of Origen’s season so far. Digging a little deeper into Origen’s 7 – 7 record shows they only ever beat the teams below them and lose to the teams above them, and such was reflected last week; Soaz’s 8 – 0 – 9 came against Splyce, whilst his feed fest came against G2.
Looking at Origen’s complete inability to beat better teams, it doesn’t bode well for them in a playoff scenario. We expect Origen to make the playoffs, but to fall at the first hurdle. They only have two weeks left to improve, and it doesn’t seem like enough time to get to where they need to be to really turn their season around.
By: Arron “King Dempz” Dempsey – @arrondempers
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