David "MoonMeander" Tan's transition from being a pro player to the head coach for TSM took many by surprise.
Despite the switch, TSM finished the DPC NA 2023 Tour 1: Division I in first place, surpassing expectations and qualifying for the Dota 2 Lima Major alongside Shopify Rebellions.
Moonmeander was kind enough to answer a few questions before TSM heads to Lima, Peru for the first major of the DPC 2023.
Moonmeander interview Lima Major: Transition from being a pro player to TSM's head coach
How has the transition from being a pro player to a head coach been?
My transition from pro player to coach has been fluid. I get to wake up, sip my coffee and watch my boys grow day after day. It’s like being a dad at his kid’s baseball games. I now overlook the kitchen as I let these young talented chefs cook.
As a coach, how are you helping the team navigate through the patch, meta, mentality, etc.? What is your role?
As a coach, it’s my role to listen to my teammates, whether it’s strategy, team issues, or even girl problems.
I lend my ear to them as an old married man trying to steer them towards not just being a better Dota player, but a gigachad at life.
How does this correlate with pro-Dota you ask? When a pro player does a HUGE play, what does Twitch chat spam? That’s right because only a GIGACHAD knows how to make the biggest of plays. A small son just gets OMEGALUL-ed.
To the surprise of many, TSM topped the DPC NA 2023 Tour 1: Division I, dropping only a single game in the entire season. Did you expect the team to perform so well? Please explain.
I knew the team could take DPC NA 2023 Tour 1. Did I think it was going to be easy? Nope, however, these young men worked hard day after day waking up in the wee hours of the morning and grinding till the sunset. No complaints, no crybabies, just a bunch of stoic gentlemen.
Read:
Seleri's expectations at the Lima Major: "We aim for Top 3"
(Image via Valve)
Moonmeander interview Lima Major: NA's chances at the Dota 2 Lima Major
Quick question: What do Kasane, Ari and Whitemon bring to the table at TSM?
Kasane has taught the team how to speedrun portal 2 if they ever choose to purchase a steam deck, which is a great investment and definitely better than a Nintendo switch.
Ari has provided the team with some prime Marci content as he is a man of culture.
Whitemon brings a lot of memes on his Instagram stories and does five people’s worth of social media for us.
TSM is going to the Lima Major along with Shopify Rebellions. How do you fancy NA’s chances at the major against other regions?
One team is going to be 2nd place, as per NA Major tradition, and the other will be playing mafia with SirActionSlacks after they get eliminated.
What’s your general prerogative on the shortened DPC season from six weeks to four?
This new DPC format is something I’d like to give Valve credit for. They have been gathering feedback for pro players and changed the system where pro players feel less burnt out, whilst also being able to provide non-stop Dota for viewers.
Div 1, viewers eat well, div 2 viewers eat decently, but now they’re ravishing better food, than the Major! Then one week later, back to Div 1!
Being a Dota 2 viewer for 2023/2024 will be great, these two years will feel like the golden days of Dota 2 back in 2015/2016 with the Frankfurt/Manila majors and big third-party tournaments.
Featured image: ESL Stockholm 2022
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EsportsHeaven
2023-02-19 06:08:42