As of now, there are only 3 matches left until the LCK Spring 2023 officially concludes. T1 has achieved their first goal: reaching the finals of the LCK Spring 2023 and securing a spot at the MSI 2023 in London. Of course, T1 still has a more important goal ahead: to win the Spring Split to set the stage for the first international tournament of the year.
Unlike their match against KT Rolster, T1 was more cautious in their game against Gen.G. However, facing the reigning LCK champions, Faker and his teammates also faced considerable challenges. There was no comeback, and T1 won convincingly with a score of 3-1. However, in such a context, the bans and picks from both teams drew attention.
Aside from the return of Malphite after a long absence from the professional scene, renowned streamer LS continued to voice negative comments about T1’s picks. These statements came after T1 locked in Gnar to face Doran’s Malphite in Game 2.
On his personal page, LS bluntly stated: “Gnar is a ‘self-destructive’ pick against Malphite, and Malphite will defeat Gnar no matter the game situation. Why is it never a Sylas Top matchup? Zeus can play Sylas and he has the chance to get many good ultimates (from Rakan, Maokai, Xayah, or Malphite). T1’s picks are truly terrible”. Notably, many fans also expressed agreement with LS’s view.
Of course, the T1 team was completely unaware of this, but the reality of the match had a strong ‘counter-damage’ against LS. Despite being pushed frequently, Zeus’s Gnar always had good farm and controlled the game. Furthermore, in team fights, Doran’s Malphite proved ineffective as T1 maintained excellent positioning. Meanwhile, Zeus’s Gnar was significantly more useful, especially in the decisive fight at the Elder Dragon.
T1’s performance has shown that while champion selection is important, the skills of the players cannot be underestimated. Moreover, in a match where both sides have thoroughly researched each other, champion selection is just a reference factor. A single moment of distraction or a mistake can lead to defeat, even when possessing a better champion composition.