Let’s take a look back at T1’s match yesterday to get the clearest understanding of what happened. The first mistake T1 made was choosing a lineup that was too outdated and failed to leverage the strengths of the players. They allowed Faker to use Lulu with the intent of playing a protective strategy for the Marksman; however, this champion is very difficult to win lane with and lacks long-range support skills, so Faker’s impact in the mid-game could not compare to that of Galio.
However, that was T1’s decision, and it seems they had practiced this strategy, as evidenced by the moments when Faker and his teammates regained control of the game when Teddy had enough items and damage. Nevertheless, this led to a critical positional error at the end of the game that directly resulted in their defeat.
Keep in mind that at the 49-minute mark, most champions were fully equipped and had extremely high damage. Teddy’s Aphelios, after all, is just a Marksman; if caught, he would die instantly. However, he was overly confident and moved recklessly, practically inviting the enemy to catch him. Teddy might be strong and Faker might be buffed a lot, but let’s remember that the opponents had both the Dragon Soul and the Elder Dragon, which could take him down extremely quickly.
In that situation, if the player was JackeyLove or Uzi, they would definitely choose the safe option of returning to base without going through the small path to the jungle, rather than heading towards the mid lane and getting caught midway. Indeed, when playing a Marksman, sometimes you need to take risks to deal damage; however, when the whole team depends on you, staying alive is the top priority—let your teammates initiate the fight. Teddy did not keep a cool head in this situation.
We cannot deny that Teddy has exceptional champion handling skills; his stats such as KDA, average kills, minions per minute, and gold earned per minute are all among the best in the LCK. Even in the aforementioned match, Teddy had over 600 minion kills; however, the calmness in critical moments and the necessary sensitivity are what he currently lacks.
The difference between a good Marksman and a superstar ADC lies in the mentality and composure in crucial moments. Your individual stats can be excellent, but if you cannot maintain calm in critical situations, the price to pay will be incredibly high. Teddy in the last match is a typical example; he farmed well throughout the game but made one positional error and lost the entire match.
Perhaps if Teddy wants to reach the level of a super Marksman, he needs to be calmer in assessing his position, his teammates’ damage, and the enemies.