Nadeshot Speaks Out About Tough LA Thieves Roster Changes
Los Angeles Thieves, the Call of Duty League franchise underneath the 100 Thieves umbrella has continued to shock the competitive scene with some huge shake-ups in the roster.
After starting the league with a quartet of Austin "Slasher" Liddicoat, Thomas "TJHaly" Haly, Donovan "Temp" Laroda, and Kenneth "Kenny" Williams, just the latter has kept his place two and a half splits down the line.
Kenny and TJ had previously been joined by previous substitute Zack "Drazah" Jordan and rookie step-up Carlos "Venom" Hernandez, as a roster who toppled a worrisome OpTic Gaming side in their latest fixture.
However, the Thieves have rung true to their name and poached one of the league's star players from a rival, Cuyler "Huke" Garland.
In the steal of the year, reigning World Champion, Huke the Nuke, joined the Thieves in place of TJHaly and just two weeks after being benched by the inconsistent Dallas empire. With six consecutive years at Envy (Empire's parent organisation) across two different titles, Huke joined a resurgent LA Thieves leaving the entire CDL scene with their jaws on the floor.
Nadeshot's Comments On Huke Joining LA Thieves
With an outpour of emotion and shock across social media, 100 Thieves owner and Call of Duty pioneer Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag took to addressing the transfer. He started by acknowledging the decision to drop TJ, despite not being a player who was under scrutiny. He said: "Been trying to think of the right words after today’s announcement of Huke joining LA Thieves, but I just can’t seem to get it straight in my head so here’s what I’ll say. Roster changes are tough,
"When it’s moving on from players who are your friends and clearly have enough talent to compete on a starting roster today. It just sucks, plain and simple."
However, Nade soon opened up on the impact that Huke can have on the organisation and the owners' personal desires to coup such a player. He said: Huke is a generational FPS talent. He will go down as a top 10 player all-time when everything is said and done. I truly believe that,
"When a player like that becomes available, you do whatever it takes to sign him. So excited to have him here at LA Thieves."
Will Huke Make LA Thieves Better?
The general consensus is that Huke would have made any team in the league a better team, barring possibly Atlanta FaZe, OpTic Chicago, and previous club Dallas Empire - although the jury is still out on the latter, with many still scratching their heads at the decision.
As one of the most valuable players in the league, the lucky team that could capture his signature would undoubtedly be an improved outfit on paper.
CDL caster and former professional Joe "MerK" De Luca tweeted "Huke is literally a player you build a franchise around, that’s a short list. I know LA thieves were starting to get going, but if a player like that wants to play on your roster, you get it done," an opinion that seems to capitulate the entire transfer.
As to whether the rewards will be reaped instantly, that is yet to be seen. Recently, TJHaly has been a huge factor in LA Thieves success, which made the move such a difficult decision.
All eyes will be on Huke to step up in the same manner as TJ, especially with the Major on the horizon.
Image via LA Thieves.