Buzz
Ning fails to recapture his former glory in LPL Spring 2023 and instead sinks deeper into disappointment.
During the final transfer period of the 2023 season, there were numerous roster changes across LPL teams. Veterans like Doinb and Flandre opted for rest, while Uzi remained absent following the Bilibili Gaming incident last season. Teams like Royal Never Give Up, Weibo Gaming, JD Gaming, Edward Gaming, and LNG Esports underwent significant alterations. Additionally, former Worlds champions Ning and Baolan made a comeback after a temporary hiatus.
However, the performance of these former champions did not meet fan expectations. Both Ning and Baolan joined Ultra Prime, a team that finished at the bottom in LPL Spring 2023. Notably, UP was one of the most active teams in the LPL transfer market. Besides Ning and Baolan, they also acquired Doggo - the player who once displaced Uzi to the bench while playing for BLG.
Ning, in particular, became the target of severe criticism and ridicule from fans. According to some opinions and evaluations, Ning ranked 19th among Junglers in LPL Spring 2023. However, what's noteworthy is that LPL only comprises 17 teams. The 19th position includes substitute players as well (ThunderTalk Gaming and Ninjas in Pyjamas fielded 2 Junglers each). This indicates that Ning performed worse than the substitutes of these two teams.
Naturally, Ning (known for his hot-headed and toxic behavior) refused to accept such criticism. He even demanded fans to provide evidence. However, before Ning's supporters could present evidence, statistics from various analytics websites spoke volumes. According to data from Gol.gg, Ning participated in 37 out of 42 matches (excluding playoffs) - a figure comparable to any Jungler. However, other statistics painted a less favorable picture.
Ning's KDA is the lowest among 19 Junglers. Surprisingly, even Xiaohao of Anyone's Legend (a team ranked just above UP) has a higher KDA than Ning. He also boasts the lowest win rate (only 24.3%) and earns the lowest gold per minute (303, lower than XLB - the substitute of NIP who manages 306). Furthermore, Ning averages 4.1 deaths per game - the highest among the 19 Junglers this season.
With such statistics, Ning perhaps realizes he has hit rock bottom in his career. Naturally, UP likely acknowledges this issue too, and their search for a replacement for Ning to prepare for the upcoming Summer Split is just a matter of time.
