This is like saying, "The student is excellent in practice tests, but is terrible during the real test!"

If you can't perform consistently under pressure, then it's not really skill.

And it's not like Best is particularly dominant in KCM or Ultimate Battle or anything. He admitted in the Ro24 interviews he was not a true contender to win this season. And he was right.

When someone shows you who they are, believe 'em. I love Best, but he's not a winner. He's a great No 2 or No 3 but you can't have him as your No 1 guy and expect to go anywhere.

Peeano

Netherlands5211 Posts

September 01 2022 08:12 GMT

#122

Best is hardly ever a player you wanna bet on.
When he didn't throw away his sairs carelessly a few years ago for just 2 games, he was immediately credited for it in an interview. It was very not Best like. People got excited. Would Best, like Light and Mini finally find a break through where he is ready to fight for the crown? Nope... his improved-self lasted like 1 or 2 more games.

Best is a good guy to have on your team, but I can't root for him in a tournament setting unless he is up against Flash.
Maybe he can talk with Snow and Mini to get the enlightment he desperately need. It's some sort of insecurity he has that he needs to overcome on top of putting in the work.

Perhaps next ASL? I doubt it :/

TMNT

3115 Posts

September 01 2022 12:27 GMT

#123

Best's peak was 1-2 years ago when shuttle play in PvT was trendy. He's not gonna improve suddenly at 33 years of age. Plus, he's more focused nowadays on running his Starcraft academy. Didn't even pratice much for this ASL. His number of spongames started dwindling down very fast since the last ASL. In fact he seems content with finishing in the Ro16 this time, compared to last season where he almost retired from ASL after his exit.

AttheDriveIn

261 Posts

September 01 2022 20:58 GMT

#124

On September 01 2022 21:27 TMNT wrote:
Best's peak was 1-2 years ago when shuttle play in PvT was trendy. He's not gonna improve suddenly at 33 years of age. Plus, he's more focused nowadays on running his Starcraft academy. Didn't even pratice much for this ASL. His number of spongames started dwindling down very fast since the last ASL. In fact he seems content with finishing in the Ro16 this time, compared to last season where he almost retired from ASL after his exit.

Agreed. You can tell the fire's not there. Not that I blame him in any way -- he's always a legend and always will be. I kept my expectations intentionally low.

I think he's really underrated vZ now though. He's lost a lot of vT skill and gained a lot of vZ skill. He has some of the most unique mid-game timings of any PvZ, and is excellent at finishing the game off before late game Zerg makes it almost impossible for P to win.

One of the biggest weaknesses I see with him vs Mini is the early game. Mini's early game is insane, leveraging his micro. Best's early game micro isn't anything special, though. The current meta is all about P being really good early game, leveraging your first couple of Zealots, and he doesn't do that well.

outscar

2832 Posts

September 02 2022 17:11 GMT

#125

Did BeSt choke this time or not? I think if he played solid macro game without shuttle shenanigans he could advance. But can't blame that much him, last two maps were hard for toss. In other hand, even though I like Rush and want him to win ASL he wasn't that solid tbh, I don't see him winning this ASL with so many stacked groups.

whaski

Finland577 Posts

September 03 2022 03:29 GMT

#126

On September 03 2022 02:11 outscar wrote:
Did BeSt choke this time or not? I think if he played solid macro game without shuttle shenanigans he could advance. But can't blame that much him, last two maps were hard for toss. In other hand, even though I like Rush and want him to win ASL he wasn't that solid tbh, I don't see him winning this ASL with so many stacked groups.

Butter is tossmap no doubt. But nemesis seems quite good for tvp regarding recent spongames and extremely bad for toss. It was coined as Carrier-sair-reaver-map but those additional paths seem to be detrimental (moreso in pvz) for protoss.

I still argue this was a choke from Best, even in sylphid- game he had a lot of bad trades, it just looks nothing like how he handles Rush in spongames.