Misfits vs SK Gaming

This is where things get a whole lot more interesting: SK Gaming vs. Misfits Gaming. On paper, there's not a lot to like, but in actuality, this might end up being one of the most entertaining matches of the day. Simply put, both teams have ample talent within their line-ups, but they've been finding disparate amounts of success when it comes to harnessing and channeling it over the last couple of weeks.

Both teams have a couple of seasoned veterans aboard, but it's the rookies that have garnered the most attention, and rightfully so. SK Gaming, for one, has been playing incredibly well ever since 2021 began, and they've been dominant far more than anyone thought was possible — at least at this point in time. Frankly, they're better than you'd expect, and that's surprising, to say the least. They didn't have any pre-existing synergy between them, nor is there any superstar hardcarry among them either, and yet what they lack in starpower they more than make up for in sheer grit and determination. But perhaps most importantly, they have TynX as their jungler — an incredibly talented ERL prospect who's been performing astonishingly well and is undoubtedly the biggest catalyst behind SK's success thus far. Now, make no mistake: SK is far from perfect, but they've already found a ton of success in a region that is stacked beyond reason. A 5W-5L record this early on is nothing short of awe-inspiring, and that is especially true once we factor in just how inexperienced and green most of their players are. These are not seasoned competitive legends nor grizzled veterans who've been atop of the LEC for years. Instead, they're talented prospects with a chip on their shoulder, and watching them perform has been nothing short of mesmerizing.

Misfits Gaming, on the other hand, are worse than expected, and explaining why is pretty much impossible at this point in time. They have all the right tools and players for the job and yet things just haven't "clicked" in the right way. Whether they'll ever "click" is also up in the air. Misfits doesn't have a good track record when it comes to player management, so no one's overly optimistic. Still, there's ample talent within their line-up, so now it's all a matter of coaching. They need to get on the same page and deliver as a five-man unit, and we've seen them do it in the past as well. Back when the regular season began, they looked quite incredible, and then for some odd reason they just began regressing. Their mistakes became bigger and they happened a lot more frequently which, frankly, is a troubling sign given how we're at the halfway point of the split. They need to pick up the pace and deliver if they want to stand even the slightest chance of reaching the playoffs — a goal that is becoming increasingly unrealistic as time goes on.

Right now, however, we simply have to side with SK Gaming as they've done more than enough to warrant our benefit of the doubt. They're still rough around the edges, but they've been a lot more consistent lately so they should, by all means, be able to get the win against a struggling MSF line-up. Regardless, expect a hectic, skirmish-heavy affair that could truly go either way.