LoL Analysis: NALCS 2016 Summer, TSM vs CLG (Week 1)

Yes, I know, I'm behind. I've been working on a few projects for other sites, but have notes dating back to Week 1. Let's get to it!

CLG bring back the same lineup that took it to the rest of the world at MSI. Can they continue to play around Stixxay like they did? Or will nerfs to ADCs and other changes force them to go back to more Darshan play? Either way, at the beginning of the split, this team must have had high hopes for the rest of the year.

TSM on the other hand struggled through week after week of inconsistency in Spring 2016 before turning on the jets in the playoffs and giving CLG a very close series. Although they lost star support Yellowstar (one of my favorites) I actually think they'll be quite good in this split. Bora struggled to fit in with Doublelift, was an ineffective shot caller at times, and couldn't quite adapt his champion pool to the ranged support meta. Biofrost is an unproven challenger player, but I think that benefits TSM in that they can possibly mold him into a better fit. Of course, that puts shot-calling at a premium, so it will be interesting to see how cohesive this team is beyond 10 minutes.

Oh, and #BO3 in the #NALCS! Hype!

Game 1

LoL Analysis: NALCS 2016 Summer Preview

Who is hyped for another split in the glorious NALCS!? I know we are already 12 weeks in, but never fear, the analysis will be rolling! We are back and better than ever, coming off a MSI FINALS APPEARANCE by Spring Champions Counter Logic Gaming. Now that NA have proved to be major contenders in international play, with two knockout-round teams in both major international tournaments this year, I'm extremely excited to see which teams from this split will make it to #Worlds2016 and how they will fare. The storylines for this split abound, starting with our first game:

• CLG and Team SoloMid played an extremely competitive BO5 in the Spring Final... and we get them right back again in Week 1... this time in a BO3!! I'm excited for the new best-of changes to the LCS for two major reasons: 1) this helps prep teams for international play, where best-of series dominate the conversation, and 2) this allows them to play more games at the highest level. LCK and LPL teams already play much more on stage than their LCS counterparts, giving them more time to figure out comps, counters, and how to adjust mid-series. I think the best-of move will even the competitive landscape and give LCS teams an even better shot at downing the Koreans

2016 NBA Finals Preview

After a wild few series in the Western Conference and an absolute snoozer in the East, we get the rematch that most people wanted before the season began. I was among those that thought OKC would win the series after going up 3-1: it's hard to win three straight games against that good a team. They were longer and more athletic at every position and played stifling defense. Guess what? The Warriors play pretty stifling defense themselves, predicated on intelligence and strong rotations rather than length contesting shots and passing lanes.

Cleveland on the other hand played mediocre team after mediocre team in the east: Detroit was never good with Andre Drummond on the floor, Atlanta's office went in the toilet with its shooting, and Toronto subsisted on tough shots all year. They combined spurts of strong defense and hot shooting with stretches of disinterested play on both ends.

So who wins the series? I'm calling Warriors in 5, and here are 5 reasons why: