SK Gaming secured important playoff-race points today with a clean 2:0 win over Shifters.
ADC Jopa played a key role in that – on Corki in game one (7/2/7), and even on Xerath himself in game two (7/3/13), one of the contested mage bot-lane picks that have been a hot topic across the pro scene since Patch 26.16 dropped earlier today.
In the post-match interview, Jopa talked about how the new patch is affecting the bot lane meta, looked back on his rookie year in the LEC so far – and explained why, for him personally, everything is riding on this Summer season.
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RunItDown: Congrats on the win, first of all. How nervous were you about maybe having to play Syndra in game one?
SK Jopa: Well, Syndra was a flex pick, so there was a chance I'd end up playing her. I think I can always play Syndra, that's not a problem – but in the end it turned into a good Corki game too.
RunItDown: At the end of the day, you still went for a mage with Xerath in game two. Doesn't that mean mages aren't quite buried on the bot lane yet?
Jopa: I think that depends a lot on how well each team managed to prepare – before the patch there were maybe three, four scrim days. And honestly, I don't think all that much changed as far as mages on the bot lane go. I think you can still play mages, that hasn't really changed. It just depends a lot on the individual team.
"I Think They Missed the Mark a Bit"
RunItDown: So does that mean, for you, Riot missed the mark with the 26.16 changes?
Jopa: I think they missed the mark a bit. I don't think roaming supports are the main reason mages are so strong on the bot lane – it's more that you just get good wave clear, can play into any matchup, get a lot of gold, mage items are cheap, and you have a lot of mana.
As an actual carry, on the other hand, it's hard to get a real advantage on the bot lane. You're hoping to scale onto three, four items, and then a lot depends on team compositions – whoever brings more range.
"It's Not About Mages Being Too Broken"
RunItDown: Do you generally support the philosophy that mages should be playable on the bot lane – or would you rather see that shut down completely, so the bot lane is really just marksman territory?
Jopa: Personally, I like it when there are more options on bot – being able to play mages, being able to play classic AD carries, even tanks or things like that. The only thing that matters is that it doesn't become unhealthy for the game if mages get too broken, or tanks get too broken. For me it's more about that possibility existing in the first place.
Rookie Year, Halfway Through: "I'd Hoped for More"
RunItDown: You came into the LEC this year as one of the most hyped ADCs out of the ERL scene. Now that the season's almost over, with only three or four games left – regardless of whether you make playoffs or not – how do you look back on the past eight months?
Jopa: Honestly, not that good. As a team, I'd hoped for more, better results. Individually, I've definitely improved. But I feel bad as a team that we didn't get good results in either the Winter or the Spring split.
I feel like everything is riding on this Summer split now – the results need to get better, otherwise the whole year is going to feel completely wasted in the end. That's why it matters a lot to me how this season goes.
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RunItDown: Back in February you were pretty open about not being satisfied with your own level yet. How would you rate yourself today – what's the biggest progress you've made since then?
Jopa: I think mostly experience. Playing on stage without fear, just playing your own game, thinking the way you'd normally think – without that mental block. I think I've come a good way in lane. And this mage meta actually suits me pretty well. So compared to Winter, this Summer season is looking better so far.
RunItDown: In the end, is pressure the biggest difference between the ERL scene and the LEC?
Jopa: Yeah, I think you just need time to get used to how everything works on stage – until you find yourself when you're playing against really good ADCs. I think overall I've played well, I can hold my own at this level, step by step.
Five Wins for the Playoffs: "KC Will Be Tough"
RunItDown: With today's result, you're still in the playoff hunt. Your remaining games are against Fnatic, Heretics, MKOI, and KC – roughly speaking, you'll need about five wins to qualify. Which three teams do you beat to get there?
Jopa: We need to beat Heretics, Fnatic, and MKOI. As for KC – they're in really good form right now, I think they're currently the best team in the league. Maybe if it's the last week and they want to try out a few things, different champions – but at our current level, beating KC is going to be tough.
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Goal for the Rest of the Split: Best of Five
RunItDown: To wrap up: what's the one thing you want to be able to say about your own performance by the end of the Summer split that you couldn't say after the Spring split?
Jopa: Most of all, I want to make playoffs and play a best of five, to see what that feels like – drafting, playing on stage in a best-of-five format. I think that would be a really good experience and would help me a lot on a personal level.
In lane I've already stabilized, but I want to get really good in teamfights. For example, if we hit the midgame at an even score and go into a fight against the enemy AD carry, I want to be able to trust that I'll play the fight better and do more damage. Especially this Summer season, I want to become as good as possible in teamfights.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity, and translated from Croatian.