Canna’s Growth
Canna can be considered the best-performing rookie of T1 in the spring split. He has not shown that he is significantly outclassed by his opponents; on the contrary, this 2000-born player is getting better and better, instilling confidence in the top lane position. If he maintains this form, it’s only a matter of time before Canna becomes the number one top laner in Korea. However, Canna’s story does not end within the confines of the LCK.
Specifically in the top lane, China has an abundance of skilled players, ranging from safe ones like Gimgoon and Zoom to unpredictable ones like 369 and The Shy. Not to mention the “anomalies” from Europe like Wunder and Bwipo, who have their own unique playstyles. Therefore, for T1 to go further and reach the world championship, Canna’s high skill alone is not enough; he also needs a strong mentality to handle unexpected situations when facing the aforementioned players.
Cuzz Needs to Play More Proactively
Whether intentionally or not, many jungle players known for their aggressive playstyle in T1 (formerly SKT T1) have turned into “felines” and shifted to a more controlled playstyle. In the past, we had Peanut, and most recently Clid, and now Cuzz is following this path. From being very eager to engage in early-game skirmishes, they have gradually become “professionals” at securing Dragons and Rift Heralds.
Of course, strategy plays a part, but the current meta in professional play does not allow teams to maintain absolute control. The jungle position needs to create significant impact through unexpected ganks and unconventional movements to clearly open up winning opportunities for the team. Perhaps T1’s coaching staff should provide more freedom for Cuzz to play more liberally.
Stop the “Play Not to Lose” Mindset
A few days ago, commentator and former player CloudTemplar had a very long livestream discussing the reasons for T1’s failure, in particular, and Korean teams in general at the China-Korea Grand Battle. One of his most valuable insights was: “Instead of forcing opponents to make mistakes, we play as if we will win if we don’t make mistakes. In other words, LCK plays not to lose rather than to win.”
This mindset is the biggest reason for the failures of Korean teams in recent years, not just T1. They focus too much on self-preservation and do not study their opponents sufficiently. As a result, they are defeated in crucial matches simply because they did not expect their opponents to play in such an unpredictable manner. The two losses to G2 Esports in the semifinals of MSI 2019 and Worlds 2019 are the clearest evidence of this.
Therefore, the biggest issue T1 needs to improve now is their approach to the game. League of Legends is not like a test where you get a good score just by avoiding mistakes; even if you play perfectly, your opponent can still outplay you with unpredictable strategies. SKT T1 once pioneered the control playstyle of Koreans; there’s no reason they can’t lead the way in renewing their mindset and playing more unpredictably.