With the KeSPA Cup 2019 reaching the playoffs, the rest of the LCK teams will finally be seen in action. Before then, let’s take a look at some players that had some great games in the Qualifying Round in another edition of the OP5!

Top: Kim “Kiin” Gi-in (Afreeca Freecs)

Despite the team’s struggle last season, Kiin was always considered one of the best top laners in the region. This season, it would appear nothing has changed as Kiin put on another incredible performance as Afreeca took down Brion Blade 2-0. During the series, Kiin dominated a significantly weaker opponent in Choi “Wizer” Ui-seok. With some great play on Ryze (5/2/6) and Camille (7/3/8), Kiin has already begun making a case to being the best top laner in Korea for yet another season. As always with anything related to the KeSPA Cup, it is still very early to predict anything, but with Kiin, it’s a prediction worth making.

Jungle: Kim “Clid” Tae-min (Gen.G)

While DragonX’s Hong “Pyosik” Chang-hyeon gave Clid a run for his money at times during his own series, Clid was overall the better player and takes the OP jungler spot.

Much like Kiin, Clid was considered the best jungler in the region and some would argue the world. In his first tournament back in the new season, Clid looks ready to retain that title once again. In Gen.G’s 2-0 victory over Team Dynamics, the team dominated thanks in part to a great performance by Clid. This was clearly demonstrated in Gen.G’s Game 2 victory where Clid picked up the MVP honors for an amazing performance on Rek’Sai (8/1/11).

With Gen.G looking like the early favorites to not only win KeSPA Cup but LCK Spring 2020, the pressure will be on for the roster to perform and live up to these expectations. For Clid, it will be nothing new after his season on T1, but now, will he be able to maintain that high level of play?

Mid: Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon (DragonX)

On a new team filled with rookies, Chovy now has to step up more than ever along with his new teammate in Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu. So far, Chovy has done exactly that as he leads DragonX into playoffs of the KeSPA Cup. Showing off his diverse champion pool, Chovy had some stellar games on Ornn and Galio as DragonX took down SPEAR Gaming in a hard-fought 2-0 victory.

While DragonX has the potential to become a top team in Korea, they’ll need time for their young rookies to develop. Until then, it will be up to both Deft and Chovy to lead the team. As such, if there was any season for Chovy to truly cement himself as one of the best mid laners in the history of Korea, this season may be the one.

ADC: Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk (Gen.G)

With multiple ADCs having solid performances during the Qualifying Round, the OP ADC was the hardest to pick. Between some great games from the likes of Deft and Jin “Mystic” Seong-jun, along with some underrated performances from the likes of Kim “Lava” Tae-hoon, there was simply a lot of ADCs to pick from. However, in the end, the OP ADC honors go to Ruler for a dominant performance against SPEAR Gaming.

Going a combined 16/2/17 with Miss Fortune and Senna, Ruler unstoppable through both games. With both Kim “Life” Jeong-min and Kim “Kellin” Hyeong-gyu supporting him this series, Rule has shown that he’s able to have a great performance no matter which support is with him in lane. Along with being the highest damage dealer in both games, Ruler was the clear choice for the OP ADC position.

Support: Son “Lehends” Si-woo (Hanwha Life Esports)

If it wasn’t evident before, Lehends is actually pretty good at League of Legends. While Lehends never stood out in the past on a very talented Griffin roster, his recent games as a member of Hanwha has shown that he is an amazing support player. With an overall weaker roster around him, Lehends has been the star of the show. While Lehends had some good performances on Shen and Senna, his performance in Game 3 with Yummi was simply amazing as he dealt a whopping 12,801 damage as Hanwha took the series against KT Rolster. While there are still some clear question marks on the Hanwha roster, Lehends is a proven player and will be the star player this upcoming season. Will Lehends be able to lead Hanwha to the playoffs once the LCK begins once again? Only time will tell.

To watch League of Legends tournaments, visit watch.na.lolesports.com. For more information on the Split, teams, standings and players, visit www.lolesports.com. Recaps of former weeks and other LoL content can be found at https://thegamehaus.com/league-of-legends/.

Featured image courtesy of Kenzi Flickr

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