https://www.hltv.org/news/36482/hampus-returns-to-ninjas-in-pyjamas-aleksib-benched
The Swedish captain returns to competition after taking a break in January.
The Swedish captain returns to competition after taking a break in January.
I wasn't expecting an Alexib bench, this is interesting. Wonder what effect this'll have on the team.
I just don't think NIP can really work with the looser style, in my eyes the more rigid, systematic style is very hard to get working well, while the looser, momentum based style is more fun, but depends a lot on the players hitting their shots. If they have a downswing in performance, it falls apart, and you have nothing to fall back on.
NIP's players just aren't on the same level individually as something like G2, and we have seen how good G2 looks when their players are in form, and how fast they fall off when they aren't in form.
Obviously it isn't that simple and there are tons of different things that affect a team's performance, but that's how I see the "broad strokes". And don't get me wrong, each one of k0nfig, Brollan, hampus, headtr1ck and REZ has had very high highs during their careers, but none of them can reach that level consistently. I guess it's sort of a gamble to see if they could unlock that good form in a more consistent manner for their inconsistent stars with this? Or they just don't have other good options.
Unpopular opinion seeing how much people like AleksiB as a person, but I think he is an overrated IGL. His teams under-perform and he has no notable achievements except for the Cinderella run with ENCE years go.
my take on aleksib as an IGL: he's well-versed on the tactical side but personality-wise he just isn't cut out to be a leader. notice the upswing they had with k0nfig? k0nfig has taken on the role as the hypeman, mood manager and paternal figure of the team, and judging from what I saw, he's what kept the engine going even in matches where things were looking bleak. you need a bit of that quality in your IGL as well. lose a round and you'll see AleksiB sitting with his face buried into his hands, or letting out a big sigh with a gaze far out in the distance... that's gonna affect you as a player, man. you'll try to follow a playbook listen to a bunch of calls, you'll fail, and you'll look to your leader for some analysis and ideas on how to bounce back – and there he sits looking embarrassed, fed up, and like he's already lost. def not sustainable and you could see it in G2/OG as well.
oh and regarding that k0nfig team mentality; it's something I've noticed is way more prevalent among players that have experience in other sports (IGL or not). ever play CS with a soccer player? that's instant team spirit right there