100 Thieves vs Golden Guardians

The former LCS champions might not be as good and dangerous as was the case just a year ago, but they're still incredibly capable and are atop the standings for a reason. The thing is, they just can't spread their proverbial wings as much in the current meta. Any team that thrives off its jungler -- as is the case with 100 Thieves -- isn't nearly as effective nowadays. And, well, it shows in their play, too.

They're still incredible at what they do and have many different tools and weapons to work with, but they're not *as* precise and commanding and impactful early on -- hence their shaky performances. Moreover, Abbedagge has sort of regressed and, well, we're not quite sure why. He can still pop off from time to time but his laning *is* quite dreadful and he *is* the weakest link on his team. The fact that he can, at times, make an incredible play, should by no means excuse and justify his overall inconsistency.

Jensen's back in the LCS and even Maple, a legend that needs no introduction, has decided to make the jump over the Atlantic and compete on North American soil. Heck, Bjergsen, too, is finally playing like he did back in his heyday. The mid lane talent pool, therefore, has gotten a lot more competitive, which means that Abbe's regression shouldn't come as much of a surprise. He's still capable enough to trade blows (and perhaps even win from time to time), but he might not be as good as some of his peers and contemporaries.

In any case, he's not as big a liability for 100 Thieves to lose to the Golden Guardians, so our choice here is clear.