Perhaps the match between KT Rolster and Kwangdong Freecs in the first round of the LCK Spring 2024 group stage on January 24 (Vietnam time) will be one of the most surprising matches. A KDF team with 4 out of 5 members just in their twenties, who finished near the bottom of the rankings last season, has now defeated a powerful KT team with 3 out of 5 members who won the World Championship with DRX in 2022. However, KDF’s victory was completely deserved.
Not only did KDF show a desire for victory and youthfulness, but they also demonstrated incredible resilience as they were behind after the first game. Notably, rookie Bull had one of the best performances of his career, completely shutting down the experienced stars of KT. Although KT also had young player PerfecT, they lost during the laning phase when Bull dominated veteran Deft on the other side.
Before discussing any objective issues or KDF’s strong gameplay, it’s worth noting that this match was one of the worst in Deft’s career. The 2020 World Champion clearly no longer fits the role of an AD carry to ‘carry the team’ like younger players, specifically Bull on the opposite side. However, when he played weak side, Deft limited BeryL’s impact since it was evident that it was difficult for this AD carry to play independently. The moment Deft moved alone to the Bottom Lane, without BeryL and lacking vision, only to be taken down, is the clearest example.
Moreover, Deft exposed a critical weakness: poor positioning in team fights. Even when using a long-range champion like Caitlyn or a champion that requires careful movement like Draven, Deft was unable to contribute anything. He failed to deal effective damage in fights and lost the laning phase. Fans have to admit: Deft’s current performance and skills are even below his level in 2020.
– Deft plays like an amateur
– Hello Bull, this is Strafe
– Deft wants to “keep the last dance” but…
Clearly, the high-level environment seems to no longer suit Deft. Of course, the tournament is still long, and no one can predict the future. But if Deft does not improve soon, not only will his dream of a “Last Dance again” be thwarted, but KT will also suffer in the upcoming matches, especially when their next opponent is T1.