SK vs AST is not going to “light the world on fire.” That much is pretty obvious. Predictions for it will also be all over the place as the gap between them is neither large nor insurmountable — both teams are flawed and inconsistent, which means it’ll all boil down to early game execution and draft (as it so often does).
We are actually quite interested in seeing these two compete, despite them being bottom-dwellers; we want a bigger sample size so that we can more appropriately judge and assess their long term potential (or lack thereof). We want to analyze their strengths and weaknesses with more precision and really get a better understanding of just how much they’ve improved between Spring and Summer (assuming they’ve improved at all).
It’s still impossible to say whether they’re any good or not, but they do seem to be better than Team BDS. That’s not much of a triumph, in all fairness, but it’s still something. They’re both fighting for the exact same spot in the standings which means that this game, in particular, carries a lot more significance than it might seem at first glance.
And so, naturally, if they both come out the gates swinging, this might end up being a fair bit more entertaining than your average, run-of-the-mill clash of gatekeepers! There’s potential, is what we’re saying, although by no means is a good time guaranteed.
SK vs AST Predictions | Closer Than It Looks
Astralis have actually been a fair bit better than expected. Their 2W-1L record attests to the fact as well. They’re by no means going to be upending the LEC status quo, but they have done enough to warrant our attention (and a bit of praise as well).
JeongHoon, in particular, has adapted to the LEC stage a lot better (and quicker) than most expected, and his fearless playstyle and overall feistiness have no doubt served as a great boon to Astralis and their ability to trade blows with teams most folks deemed superior.
Beating Misfits (regardless if they’re slumping or not) is definitely worth something. And it was a clean game, too. Not commanding by any stretch of the imagination but a solid showing that came as a by-product of them outdrafting Misfits in every way, shape, and form.
SK Gaming haven’t been nearly as impressive, but they did have a harder strength of schedule so that should be taken into account as well. They’re not necessarily any worse than Astralis, but their strengths are by no means as pronounced, and that may or may not change over the coming weeks and months.
We’ll side with the boys in red and blue on this one which could, in general, be considered a “leap of faith.” They, too, are flawed and exploitable, but have nonetheless been playing with a bit more zest than their forthcoming opponents, and for that they’ll get our benefit of the doubt.
