The Shanghai Dragons have signed former Dragons player Kim “Daemin” Dae-min as a coach, after his time with the Guangzhou Charge. Following time coaching across teams in Asia from contenders to the Overwatch League, he’s back with the Dragons. As one of the few survivors of the original, winless Shanghai Dragons, the return of Daemin is surprising yet welcome. Shanghai look to continue their dominance in the Eastern division, making a case for winning the entire league.
The Shanghai Dragons have qualified for the Summer Showdown after an intense five game winning streak in July. During that time, a new coach had also played an important role… pic.twitter.com/kNcvqGr4wR
— Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) July 14, 2021
The long trip back to Shanghai
Daemin has a very interesting past, not only due to involvement with the original Dragons. His time in APEX in Korea was extensive, playing for three different teams. He started on Challengers team Motiondive, before moving to ROX Orcas and then finishing his time there on Team Kongdoo.
After a short stint in North American contenders for NRG Esports, he got promoted to a struggling Shanghai Dragons team. Unfortunately, along with other Korean signings, the additions were too late and the team couldn’t develop effective synergy. Being a Tracer and Widowmaker player, he was one of the bright spots on a winless team.
This wasn’t the end of his history, though. Many players on the original Shanghai team have moved on, but not Daemin. Along with many others, their path back into contenders was a hope to go back to the Overwatch League and prove doubters wrong. Only two ended up doing so as a player, and only one still remains in the league. That player is Lee “Fearless” Eui-Seok, who is now in contention for league MVP on the Dallas Fuel.
As for Daemin, his time in contenders led to him becoming a coach. In that avenue, he made his way back to the Overwatch League, with his time on Element Mystic. After that, his time with the Guangzhou Charge didn’t lead them to former glories. Now though, he gets an opportunity on a winning team, to help them improve.
How the Dragons improve with Daemin
To put it simply, the Dragons are a powerhouse in the 2021 season. They are, along with the Dallas Fuel, in a tier of their own. This is even more apparent in the Eastern division, where they always end up the favorite. Now adding an old player back as a coach, the team can rally around that and hone their craft.
Making the tournaments isn’t necessarily hard, but winning against the Fuel is. If they can use the best of Daemin, the Shanghai Dragons can become the top team in the Overwatch League. They are nearly there already, and this could be the small step that sends them to the top.
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