The 2021 LCS Spring Split has been quite a crazy ride thus far and, if the recent couple of games are any indication, it’s fair to say that things will only get better and better! As far as predictions go, this is quite a hard one. 100 Thieves vs. Team Dignitas is, for all intents and purposes, a spectacle in the making. Now wait, put your pitchforks down — we’ll explain! This is probably the first time anyone put “Dignitas” and “spectacle” in the same sentence in years and, well, there’s a good reason why.
Simply put, this age-old organization hasn’t been even remotely competitive in what feels like an eternity. And, by and large, that was supposed to be the case in 2021 as well. They were entering the year with a line-up that could only be described as “underwhelming.” Heck, maybe not even that much. Two seasoned veterans who were past their prime and three Academy players — none of which stood out all that much — just wasn’t an impressive mix. It was yet another attempt at “staying afloat;” Dignitas didn’t want to invest much and seeing how splurging a couple of million dollars on a slew of imports wasn’t an option (for a wide variety of reasons), they decided to go the opposite, more frugal route.
And, as a result, they ended up with a roster that wasn’t supposed to be anything more than an underwhelming bottom-tier dweller — at times slightly dangerous, but inherently limited in terms of skill and potential.
Simply put, Dignitas has been clicking heads and taking names like it’s nothing, and they’ve looked downright amazing in the process as well. Their wins aren’t flukes either — they’re really that good. Will they challenge Cloud9 and Team Liquid for the LCS throne any time soon? Of course not, but they’ll definitely give them a run for their money, that’s for sure.
They know they’re the underdogs and they don’t mind one bit. Why would they? They have nothing to lose, after all. Everyone’s already counted them out, so why shouldn’t they throw caution out the window and play like their lives depend on it? They’re unphased by everyone’s opinion, and, frankly, watching them perform has been nothing short of mesmerizing.
Team Dignitas vs. 100 Thieves Predictions
To reiterate: they’re not going to leave much of a mark in the grand scheme of things. They lack the long-term potential to actually grow into a bona fide challenger, but they’re far better than anyone expected and are throwing wild haymakers — most of which are landing with great accuracy. They’re not reckless either. Instead, it’s a more controlled style of play, with a pinch of madness. And you just love to see it.
Everyone’s carrying their share of the weight, but it’s Joshua “Dardoch” Hartnett and Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black who’ve been dictating the pace and the game and pushing this Dignitas line-up over the finish line. And they’re doing so with staggering ease, too.
Opposite them, however, stands a team that’s nigh impossible to read right now — in both good ways and bad.
A Struggling Bunch of Thieves
Simply put, 100 Thieves fell off a cliff. Coming into the year, most of us expected 100 Thieves to be one of the biggest threats to Cloud9 and Team Liquid. Such a prediction proved to be correct — they were undoubtedly one of the best and most dangerous teams throughout the first-ever LCS Lock-In. And even though they ultimately failed to leave much of a mark, it was impossible not to get hyped for the future. They had all the right tools to reach Top 3 and compete with the likes of TL and C9 on even footing. That alone — for an organization that has struggled mightily over the last couple of years — was quite a welcome improvement.
It seems that none of what they’re going for seems to work. And it’s not dependent on their opponents either — they’re fumbling even against the worst of opposition. Losing to the Golden Guardians and struggling so darn much against Counter Logic Gaming (a team with just a single win on the board) is not a good look. And we’re putting it mildly here.
They’re not facing better or more talented players. They’re not facing teams with more cohesion either.
They have the longest average game time out of all ten competing teams, and have been fairly dreadful both individually but also as a five-man unit. They’re making egregious mistakes from start to finish and they’re struggling with even the most basic things.
There are no excuses at this point. Even when they have the better drafts and in-game leads they still find a way to disappoint. And it makes no sense whatsoever. They have the right players and more than enough talent, but if they don’t fix their issues in a week or two’s time then there’s absolutely no chance they’ll be able to accomplish much once the playoffs come around.
We’re going to side with Dignitas on this one as it’s the only logical option. They’re the underdogs on this one, but they’ve done more than enough recently and have earned our benefit of the doubt. 100 Thieves will surely put up a big fight, but if they keep playing at their current level then there’s no way they’ll emerge victorious.
