What if the Jungling Trinity isn't as firm as People think
And the pros are just too worried about trying or practicing something different to find the potential in other champions besides 
and 
?
6 Comments
From what I can tell the Pros are often caught in a trap of their own making. They have to hit certain levels of CS/Camps/Ganks per game or their position is at risk. This means that they have to go with a champ they are sure they can do well with, and as they practice as a team on the 2-3 champs they know well, there is little chance to get to know other champions and test out new methods.
You will see an occasion off-meta pick, but they will be rare because of the stakes for the pros. They are paid to perform to a certain level so they can't risk bringing out Nunu to jungle if they aren't positive it will work in that game as a failure might mean they get dropped from the roster. And since their teammates might not be ready to see that, it makes them even less able/willing to make risky picks.
That feel when 
reliably can out-duel all 3, and still have pretty safe clears. Yet no one plays him much outside of the die-hards due to nasty character deletion.
Probably to degrees. The thing with competitive play is that the game is about safe, consistent picks. It's also about denying your enemy "power picks" so that you have a better chance at winning.
So in this case, J4, Lee, and Vi are considered strong right now. As a competitive player I know that those champions can be played to consistent standards. I play those champions. I also know everybody else plays those champions. So if I pick one of those champions and ban the others, I can control what the enemy players pick and what I have to play against. It is kinda a self-sustaining cycle. Everyone plays the same champs -> People pick and ban those champs -> Players are then forced into picking and banning said champs to deny them from enemy team -> Players get stuck playing the same champs because of this and don't branch out -> repeat.
Every know and then a champ will come out of nowhere and upset the cycle, but its risky to bring a new champ in. That's why you don't see that much diversity.