Who Should Be The Fourth Player For The LA Thieves?
Following the announcement that 100 Thieves, the organisation owned by former Call of Duty legend Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, have re-entered the scene after purchasing the CDL slot formerly owned by Immortals operating under the OpTic brand, speculation as to who their fourth player would be has been rampant. Currently, the team consists of Austin “Slasher” Liddicoat, Kenny “Kenny” Williams, and Thomas “TJHaly” Haly as the starters and Zack “Drazah” Jordan as a substitute.
Who are the options?
The first and possibly most obvious selection would be Ian “Enable” Wyatt, formerly of the Seattle Surge. Having previously played for the 100 Thieves organisation in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 season, which resulted in the two first-place finishes at CWL London and CWL Anaheim, the organisation will already know what the veteran SMG player can bring to the table. However, having had a poor season for his standards in the inaugural season of the CDL, many people question whether Enable still has the ability to slay with the best SMG duos.
Although, after being in and out of the roster for most of the season and the season being a majority online, I think many people would be willing to give Enable a second chance given his past success over multiple games. Another possible option for Enable would be in the coaching position, using his vast experience to lead to team to victory without the pressure on him to keep up with his in-game skills.
Click to enlargeReturn of John
The next possible option could be Johnathon “John” Perez. After sitting out last season due to a ban for unclarified reasons, many expect John to come back with a vengeance for the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War season. This would possibly be a high risk, high reward move for the LA Thieves because when he is at his best, John is widely recognised as one of the best SMG players in the game, although with his year off from the competitive side of the game there are question marks as to if he still has the ability to perform at the highest level.
However, with the best teams in the game all relying on heaving SMG slaying power, John may be the better option over Enable due to his much higher skill ceiling which has led to him earning an MVP award at the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 CWL Championship 2016, whilst leading his Envy team to the title alongside possible teammate Slasher.
Click to enlargeTemp
Alternatively, the LA Thieves could look towards the enigmatic superstar Donovan “Temp” Laroda. Having won the first title of his career last season as part of the New York Subliners, albeit being online, Temp will now have the pressure off him as being in the discussion for the best player to never win a championship. Whilst his skill has never been questioned, the biggest flaw in Temp’s game is undoubtedly his attitude. Many believe this to be the biggest reason Temp is currently not on a roster as if it was down to purely skill; he is without a doubt one of the top 48 players in the world.
As well as this, Temp has previously had issues with Nadeshot, mocking him for his lack of skills, once again showing his unprofessionalism as it could potentially lead to him missing out on a roster spot.
Click to enlargeThe GOAT comes back
Finally, and probably the most unlikely option for the team would be the return of three-time World Champion Damon “Karma” Barlow. Whilst he did officially retire towards the end of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare season, in an interview with Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez, Karma didn’t rule out a potential return to competitive Call of Duty if the right opportunity presented itself.
Given his vast experience at the highest level, winning multiple championships over nearly a decade career, the team should definitely consider at least reaching out to Karma to see if he wants to make one more run with a championship calibre team. Although, with his possible dedication issues which showed up last season with the early retirement, it may be a worry for the team to potentially risk the same issues reoccurring again this season.
Whoever the team decides as their fourth, with the championship pedigree players already on their roster and the promise from COO John Robinson that the team will be aiming for championships, fans should expect the LA Thieves to be a contender for multiple titles in the upcoming season. With Nadeshot’s clear passion to prove the doubters wrong that 100 Thieves are more than an apparel company and willingness to spend big on players, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if the team buyout another superstar player currently under contract.
Images via MLG | @Enable | Activision | Theloadout
