With an impressive second half of the split, Cloud9 coach Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu is the NA LCS Coach of the Split.
Congratulations to @Reapered on winning the 2018 #NALCS Summer Coach of the Split! pic.twitter.com/Ofm4aayk3A
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) September 1, 2018
Reapered has been a huge part of Cloud9’s successes, especially in the latter part of summer. However, he and the Cloud9 organization would have a tumultuous start of the split. After the huge changes to the League of Legends meta, many teams would feel its effect across the NA LCS. One team would be Cloud9, who would end up benching almost its entire lineup before the beginning of the season. Reapered would choose to put Smoothie, Jensen and Sneaky on the NA Academy squad. In their place, they would bring up Academy players Tristan “Zeyzal” Stidam, Greyson “Goldenglue” Gilmer and Yuri “Keith” Jew.
Early to Mid Season Decisions
The Cloud9 coach would explain the roster changes by saying that some motivational issues were in play. However, their early results would suffer because of the drastic changes. They would only win three games in the first five weeks. Therefore, they would end up bringing Sneaky and Jensen back into the lineup, but would leave Smoothie down in the Academy. They would find a bit more success with their superstar members back in the lineup.
Afterward, Reapered would make a big decision in the bottom lane. Instead of bringing back Smoothie into the starting lineup, he would remain with the rookie support Zeyzal for the rest of the split. Smoothie would then leave Cloud9 for greener pastures with Echo Fox. This decision would prove to be one of the smarter decisions of the season for Reapered. He must have seen the potential in Zeyzal, as he would grow to be an essential part of Cloud9’s rise. He was also in the discussion for Rookie of the Split.
Leading the Way
By keeping these rookies on the NA LCS team, Reapered would shape and guide Blaber and Zeyzal into top tier talent. In their first split together, he has given them a chance at the NA LCS championship. Cloud9 looks like a team who is on the same page, with some great macro behind some fiery new players. Now, he must help lead the way again, as the rookies of the team will obviously have some big stage jitters. It is his job to provide the experience and veteran presence to keep them calm during high pressure situations in the playoffs.
Other Possible Nominees?
Another Coach of the Split possibility could have been Brandon “SaintVicious” DiMarco of FlyQuest. He was able to lead a former bottom tier team to their first appearance in the NA LCS playoffs. Although they were knocked out of championship contention quite early, you cannot discredit the work he has done for this organization. Also, another pick would be Jang “Cain” Nu-ri, who coaches Team Liquid. This would have been a pretty easy pick, as he has helped spearhead Team Liquid’s dominant season. They have become one of the biggest threats in the Western scene, and his coaching expertise has been so important over the past nine weeks.
What do you think of Reapered winning the NA LCS Coach of the Split? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you want more NA LCS coverage, check us out here!
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