100 Thieves vs Cloud9

For our first 2021 LCS Lock-In semifinal we have an absolute barnburner: 100 Thieves vs. Cloud9. This, in short, is as good as it gets right now. Still, for some odd, inexplicable reason, Cloud9 are favored, and there's no good reason why. Is it because of sheer name value? It has to be, as there's no other explanation. They don't have more cohesion, nor did they look particularly impressive over the last couple of weeks. In fact, one could go even further and say that -- other than a couple of standout moments from Blaber and Zven -- Cloud9 did nothing whatsoever to earn our benefit of the doubt.

They were slow, reactive, they made numerous mistakes (regardless of whom they were up against), and just looked flat-out underwhelming. They *did* string a couple of solid wins overall, but most of them came thanks to Zven and Blaber, Cloud9's biggest and most important catalysts. If one of them isn't hardcarrying like there's no tomorrow, Cloud9 doesn't really have a win condition. Perkz, the biggest off-season signing in LCS history, has been disappointing in every sense of the word and is currently one of the least impactful mid laners in North America. Let that one sink in. Of course, we know he's better than this, but until he can step up and start carrying his fair share of the weight, we'll have to reserve any further judgement. Simply put, he's been a complete non-factor, and the same goes for Cloud9's recently promoted top laner Fudge. He was supposedly about as good as Licorice, but -- even if he *does* have the same amount of potential -- we're just not seeing it right now. Over time he'll surely grow and evolve, but that's still a ways off. Overall, Cloud9 don't have as many tools to work with as they did last split, and that's quite worrying.

And maybe that wouldn't be such a big problem if they were competing on a more level playing field. But instead, they have 100 Thieves and Team Liquid to deal with — two staggeringly dominant and cohesive line-ups with immense long-term potential. Simply put, Cloud9 can't hold a candle to either, at least not if TL and 100T draft and play to the best of their ability.

100 Thieves are better in every sense of the word (at least right now) and have been dominant beyond measure ever since the first-ever LCS Lock-In began. Now sure, they did drop a game to Counter Logic Gaming, but we'll let that one slide. They even hold a win over Team Liquid, and a pretty one-sided one, to boot! Of course, they're far from perfect, but their synergy and bravado-fuelled play are more than enough to give them an edge over Cloud9 in tonight's Best of 5. They've been running circles around their opposition and it's truly been a sight to behold. Most of their dominance stems from their bottom lane -- arguably the best-performing duo in North America right now. What FBI and Huhi have been able to do has been nothing short of awe-inspiring, and even though they might not look the part, they've been every inch a dynamic duo worthy of your undivided attention.

Overall, we're going to side with 100 Thieves on this one as it just makes more sense right now. They're not perfect, but they've looked far better than the boys in black and blue thus far. They have more cohesion, a better top laner, a better-performing mid laner, and a jungler that should, by all means, be able to contain Blaber (especially if they ban out his staple Olaf pick). That said, this *is* a Best of 5, and that's generally where Cloud9 shines brightest. That's where their veterancy and preparation come into play. So, with that said, don't expect a quick 3-0 or anything similar. It'll be a hard-fought battle, and Cloud9 definitely have a puncher's chance, especially if they've fixed some of their most egregious issues.

Still, 100 Thieves are definitely well-equipped for the task and at hand.