Korean League of Legends team Kingzone DragonX confirms that they are recruiting new players in every position. The team sent a tweet out this morning:
킹존 드래곤X에서 열정 넘치는 리그오브레전드 선수(미드, 원딜, 서폿을 포함한 전 라인)를 모집합니다. 많은 관심과 지원 부탁드립니다. 자세한 사항은 이미지를 참고해주세요! (문의: [email protected]) pic.twitter.com/5puBSrp1Ol
— DRX (@DRXGlobal) July 10, 2018
Currently, Kingzone’s lineup consists of top laner Kim “Khan” Dong-ha, jungler Han “Peanut” Wang-ho, mid laner Gwak “Bdd” Bo-seong and bottom duo Kim “PraY” Jong-in and Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyeon. They also have substitutes Kim “Rascal” Kwang-hee and Moon “Cuzz” Woo-chan, who play top laner and jungle respectively.
The Kingzone DragonX lineup has been a top team in the Korean League of Legends Champions League ever since the 2017 Summer Split. However, even though the team has had relative success domestically, they would generally fail in international events. They have multiple world-class players on the roster to boast. For example, Khan and Peanut in the top side of the map are considered top 5 in their positions. Their bottom duo, PraY, and GorillA, have been playing with each other since 2014. Many fans consider them one of the best bottom lane duos in the world. Bdd has been very consistent with his play in the LCK as well. It is hard to understand why such a strong team cannot find success outside of South Korea.
Why new recruits?
Kingzone must be looking for new players, not to replace their current lineup, but to use substitutes to help rest their main players. For example, PraY has not been playing at top form this season. Giving him a break would be beneficial to give him time to rest and gain his form back. GorillA has also been dealing with wrist problems for a bit now and giving him a break could be good for his health and longevity. This practice of picking up substitutes is not new for Korean LCK teams. Many top-level organizations have been doing this for a while now, like SK Telecom T1 and Gen.G, formerly known as Samsung Galaxy.
They can use these new players to give their main lineup a rest, especially against lower seeded teams. This way they are not as burnt out mentally and physically, in time for the playoffs.
How to make Kingzone DragonX work
The biggest problem does not lie with the players on Kingzone DragonX. Many people state that the team has had one of the most talented rosters in the world. However, the one big aspect of the team that has not changed is its coaching staff. This is the same staff who coached the team back when the team was under the Longzhu Gaming and Incredible Miracle brands. Longzhu Gaming had horrible runs from the 2016 Spring Split to the 2017 Summer Split. This is when the team was able to revamp their lineup.
They would add Khan, Bdd, and Cuzz, which would actually help them win first place in the 2017 Summer Season, as well as the LCK Championship that split. However, the truth would remain: the coaching staff was still bad. It was clear that this lineup was successful purely on its talented roster, and not on its coaching. At Worlds, Kingzone would lose to eventual champions Samsung Galaxy in the quarterfinals. Note that KZ were the frontrunners to win it all that year as well.
Again, in the 2018 Spring Split, Kingzone DragonX would win the championship in Korea, only to lose to Royal Never Give Up at MSI in the Finals. They would even lose at 2018 Rift Rivals against Rogue Warriors, which would help lead to Korea’s loss at the tournament.
It shows that Kingzone needs a new coaching staff. They have all the talent in the world to become a dynasty, but they do not have the infrastructure and staff to help them. Hopefully, this team finds a way to realize their potential in next few splits.
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Published: Jul 10, 2018 05:58 pm