Throughout Stage 2, Minnesota ROKKR went from being one of the main punching bags for top Call of Duty League teams to dominating them, and it all came down to one player: Eli ‘Standy’ Bentz.
Of course, Standy isn’t just carrying the ROKKR on his back. He’s put in some insane performances, but he has the right pieces around him to make it work.
That said, the difference in the team’s performances after bringing him in for Michael ‘MajorManiak’ Szymaniak has been substantial.
But what exactly is it about Standy that has made them a genuine dark horse contender in the CDL?
STRONG league debut for @ROKKR rookie @Staaandy against one of the best teams in the #CDL2021
🔸 1.52 series K/D🔸 13/4 in S&D🔸 Led lobby with 64 kills🔸 Swept OpTic on their best maps
Anyone doubting the roster move now? pic.twitter.com/igMMh86D5E
— Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) March 25, 2021
Standy fixes ROKKR’s biggest issue
During Reverse Sweep Round 11, Dexerto’s Andrew ‘Enigma’ Campion highlights the one key factor that has made Standy an imperative part of the ROKKR’s team: pacing.
Looking at each player’s engagements per 10 minutes throughout their CDL matches, there was clearly a contrast. Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greiner and Lamar ‘Accuracy’ Abedi are faster players, and this caused issues with the slower pace of MajorManiak and Dillon ‘Attach’ Price.
The importance of a cohesive playstyle between the entry SMG (now Standy) and a team’s flex (Priestahh) is highlighted, and with these two working much more in tandem, they’ve been able to beat out top CDL sides.
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The outcome is exactly what Enigma describes: the team now looks like they’re playing together as a proper unit.
This is especially important in respawn modes, and Minnesota’s Hardpoint record pre-Standy (2-9) was one that needed vast improvement. Now, it looks like he was who they needed all along.
How else has he aided ROKKR?
Objective play
It’s also pointed out that Standy is contributing much more hill time than MajorManiak was, around a 20% increase. Of course, in Hardpoint especially, the importance of this can’t be understated. Those extra seconds in the hill have clearly been the difference between winning and losing.
Slaying power
Finally, Standy’s slaying power has been truly incredible. While Major had a 0.99 KD, Standy has had a top 10 ratio in Stage 2, clocking in at 1.08. Getting into the hill, picking up kills, Standy looks like he was the exact piece Minnesota was searching for.
Now, we have to wait and see just how far this young star goes.