The number you need to know: CoreJJ’s 0.4%

Team Liquid’s 3-1 victory over Cloud9 in the first round of the 2021 LCS Summer Playoffs was a masterclass in adaptation. TL had not gained a sport in opposition to C9 all Summer time, however due to a powerful deal with the early sport and a few distinctive planning by way of composition and sport plan, they have been in a position to maintain the reigning LCS champion off steadiness to win a convincing four-game collection. 

TL have been assured that if they may greatest C9 within the early sport, they’d be capable of shut out with out concern of a comeback. In two of their video games, TL drafted bodily injury solo laners and Ziggs bot to capitalize on the passive of Lucas “Santorin” Larsen’s Sejuani within the early sport skirmishes. After successful with this composition in sport 1, TL ran it again on match level in sport 4, with a small alteration: assist Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in on Shen.

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In sport 4, CoreJJ set a file for lowest duo proximity in LCS historical past. All through your complete sport, CoreJJ was a menace within the mid and prime lanes, leaving AD carry Edward “Tactical” Ra alone within the bot lane on Ziggs in favor of pushing the win situation of Sejuani skirmishes with the much-improved Lee Sin of Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen and the partial-melee Jayce of Barney “Alphari” Morris. The technique paid off in spades, and in a really reminiscent type of river Shens of the previous, CoreJJ had the same kill participation as Santorin all through TL’s early sport rampage. 

Solely 3.6 seconds

Duo Proximity is a stat that measures how usually a assist stays inside 1500 vary of its AD carry between the 3- and 15-minute marks, and CoreJJ’s preposterous 0.4% set the file by a great margin. CoreJJ basically left Tactical to lane in opposition to Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen’s Varus alone after the primary cannon minion wave. The 0.4% solely got here from CoreJJ and Tactical grouping as much as safe a dragon with the remainder of the workforce after the laning part. 

Whereas the assist lane has turn into extra team-based and roam-friendly over time — and offering new playstyle choices with the likes of Yuumi and Pyke — CoreJJ took it to the following degree. The TL assist has been roaming for Alphari all through this 12 months, however on this sport 4, he spent a lot time on the highest facet of the map that Cloud9 assist Philippe “Vulcan” Laflamme was pressured to comply with swimsuit. Vulcan ended up with a Duo Proximity of 6.4% on his Rakan in sport 4, second solely to CoreJJ’s file set in the identical sport .

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All through the collection, CoreJJ proved why he was deserving of a really shut 1st LCS All-Pro award, however sport 4 was his greatest efficiency. TL’s early sport planning and new compositional drafting was essential to defeating C9, and CoreJJ’s roam-heavy playstyle, notably on Shen, basically required him to create worth out of every map motion he made on the sacrifice of lane expertise. 0.4% of the 12 minutes from the three minute mark to the 15 minute mark is a paltry 3.6 seconds, but it surely’s exhausting to argue that CoreJJ may have made higher utilization within the time he spent away from Tactical than he did all through the early sport in sport 4. TL has not solely exceeded preliminary expectations within the LCS Championship, however CoreJJ’s efficiency on Shen was the linchpin in establishing a brand new fashion of Crew Liquid and a harmful flex choose.

Crew Liquid’s subsequent match within the post-season is in opposition to 1st place TSM, and with a assured World Championship qualification on the road as extra stakes for the match, count on any mixture of Ziggs, Shen, and even probably a Lee Sin as a result of potential three-way flexibility TL can boast with the Blind Monk.