TSM to start academy jungler Spica in LCS summer playoffs

Team SoloMid is starting Mingyi "Spica" Lu in playoffs.

TSM chose Spica as the starting jungler for the 2019 LCS Summer Playoffs. Spica joined TSM Academy earlier this year and he made his LCS debut in week nine of the regular season.

The decision took the community by surprise. Through the regular season, TSM alternated between Matthew "Akaadian" Higginbotham and Jonathan "Grig" Armao. Eventually, the team settled for Akaadian while Grig moved to TSM Academy where he became the starting top laner.

Now, the team is making a drastic decision and keeping Spica on the roster over both Akaadian and Grig. On top of it all, TSM listed bot laner Edward "Tactical" Ra and support Erik "Treatz" Wessén as the substitutes. It means that Spica is the only jungler that TSM will bring to playoffs.

TSM struggles in the jungle

It’s not a secret that TSM has been struggling to find a jungler that works for them. Spica is the fourth jungler to join TSM since franchising began. The lack of stability in that role is affecting the rest of the map.

Bot laner Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen is the type of laner that requires attention from the jungler. His performance is not consistent, as he can carry the team but also cost them the series. These constant changes in the jungle are not helping Zven.

The root of the issue is TSM’s lack of identity. The team is yet to define what kind of team they are and what their playing style is. Are they an aggressive team? Are they a farming and scaling team? Based on the team’s style, the jungler will take certain pathing routes and provide a different type of support to the laners.

This new shake-up comes at the worst time for TSM. The team is going versus Clutch Gaming, a hot squad that already took them out of the playoffs in a previous season.

2019 Worlds Championship hopes are on the line and TSM fans can only hope that Spica is the answer.