The 2023 season for JD Gaming (JDG) was almost perfect if they hadn’t failed at Worlds. This team won the LPL Spring, Summer, and MSI 2023, showcasing a strong dominance in their region. However, the defeat against T1 at Worlds 2023 ruined everything as JDG’s “Grand Slam” of titles could not be completed.
In fact, this defeat has led JDG to continuously part ways with key players recently. Specifically, two players, 369 and notably Knight, have recently been announced to leave the JDG roster. There are many rumors that JDG will reunite with former player Yagao to fill the position left by Knight.
Right after parting ways with Knight, JDG also released a rather lengthy video to pay tribute to this player. Interestingly, a member of the JDG coaching staff revealed a bad habit that caused Knight and his teammates to struggle. Specifically, Knight always told the coaches that he could play any champion just fine, but reality was not the same. As a result, Knight often played “off-meta” champions at Worlds and faced defeats.
In a competitive game like League of Legends, discussion or even debate among players and coaching staff is essential. This helps players and coaches understand each other better to make decisions on champion picks and strategies that suit the whole team. However, Knight’s aforementioned bad habit led the coaching staff to mistakenly believe that he could play control mages well.
As a result, Knight used Orianna frequently at Worlds 2023, playing this champion six times. However, Knight performed poorly with Orianna in terms of macro movement, leading to the defeat against T1. If Knight had the courage to speak up against the coaching staff to find a more suitable playstyle for himself, JDG might not have faced such a bitter defeat.
In any case, JDG and Knight have officially gone their separate ways for the upcoming season. Hopefully, after the defeat at Worlds 2023, Knight can soon shed this bad habit to achieve greater success in the future.