The path towards GIANTX's redemption: Interview with Nicolas Perez

Despite a challenging 2-5 score in the LEC 2024 Summer Season, GIANTX aims to achieve better results and prove itself as a contender within the EMEA League of Legends ecosystem. Having finished 8th in both the Winter and Spring Splits, the team is now under pressure to perform if they wish to reach the Season Finals.

The key to their success seems to be the young rookie midlaner Adam "Jackies" Jeřábek. With rigorous coaching from French coach Nicolas Perez, the talented prospect has unleashed his potential in the Summer Split, impressing many fans. In his own words, The Czech player clearly knows he has the skills to rival the region's best.

Following the conclusion of the third week of competition, Sheep Esports interviewed GX's new assistant coach about the team's evolution in the LEC. Although still considered underdogs, two recent victories against Team Vitality and MAD Lions KOI have reignited hope among their supporters.

However, the team's winning streak was short-lived, as they were defeated by Team BDS on Sunday. "Honestly, we just made so many mistakes, the coach commented. I don't think the loss was due to their proactivity, but rather due to fumbling our own attempts at making good plays. They really punished us hard and exploited our every mistake."

While Team BDS was a challenging matchup, GIANTX will need to step up their game to compete at the top level in Europe. "We messed up way too many things, regrets Nicolas Perez. We didn't defend our mid turret, and we completely fumbled the third drake fight. Even with a good setup, we put ourselves too far behind." Despite these issues, the team continues to advance unwaveringly. The coach explained that while many bottom teams often crumble under stress, GIANTX remains focused on improving their proactivity and developing a clear playstyle.

"There's Fnatic, G2 Esports, SK Gaming, Team BDS... The top of the standings are stacked," Nicolas Perez continued. As the race to playoffs intensifies, the pressure rises. Currently holding 65 championship points, GIANTX's chances to qualify for the season finals may appear slim but hope remains. "I don't fully understand the implications of all our matches and how this format works, but I think our chances are good," the assistant coach commented.

Known in the French scene for often finishing in 3rd position in tournaments, Nicolas Perez continued in high spirits: "Our preparations for this week and next week have been going really well. We are doing everything to perform and exceed expectations. It would be quite funny to end in 3rd place again, but we have to get better."

While players and fans grew excited after the team's recent victories, it remains clear that the team's job is far from finished. "We're definitely confident for Week 4. Karmine Corp and Rogue are two teams that we know we can take one", says the coach.

"Adapting to the LEC has honestly been so hard. It's so much different than being a coach in the ERLs," Nicolas explained. Promoted at the start of June, the 25-year-old coach now has a lot of work to adapt to this new environment. Still, having previously worked with top laner Antonio "Th3Antonio" Espinosa Bejarano and jungler Lee "Juhan" Ju-han within the organization's academic division, the coach has proved to be a valuable asset to the LEC team.

"In the regional leagues, you have to practically do everything. Preparations, scouting, drafting, following player health... It's so different than in the LEC where everything is more structured and everyone has their specific tasks," he elaborated. "At the start, it was really hard for me to integrate myself into the team, and I felt like everyone had their defined tasks while I wasn't sure what I had to do yet."

Despite this steep learning curve, Nicolas Perez and his team are quickly improving. "Everything feels so fast. We are just starting to come together as a team, but our split could be over next week and we could all already be on vacation," Nicolas added. With only nine matches to prove themselves, there is no room for error. Competing within a format known for putting enormous pressure on players and staff, GIANTX must perform now.

"I feel like I'm learning a lot from this new role. Even if my goal is to be head coach in an LEC team someday, being in this position is giving me an entirely new perspective on some things," the coach continued. "At first, it was weird to take orders and perform tasks for others. Adopting a new mentality took me some time, but this experience will help me better understand the dynamics between a head coach and their assistants."

Providing tight support to rookie midlaner Jackies and veteran AD Carry Patrik "Patrik" Jírů, Nicolas then shared his thoughts on the two talented Czech players and delved into his work with the players. "Jackies faced some issues in his overall game knowledge. He is still a very new player and hasn't had a lot of experience, but he's very receptive to feedback and he's learning so fast now. Anyone can see that from how he has played this split compared to the start of the year," he explained. Remaining towards the top of most statistics of the LEC 2024 Summer Split, the mid-laner has proved himself as a force to be reckoned with.

"Patrik's shortcomings were more related to his confidence. He needed a reminder that he is a really good player. He has the talent and the experience," he concluded. "We are finding a good balance in both team and individual improvements. I'm confident that we'll grow into a very good team."

With only one week remaining, GIANTX will take the stage once more, beginning next week. They will face Rogue at 17:45 CEST on Saturday, June 29th, before taking on Karmine Corp the following day at 20:00 CEST. There is no room for error, and the team is well aware that they will need to level up to meet their expectations.