I've been playing for a few years now, but I don't feel like I don't understand the game as much as I should. Has anyone been given some advice to help them understand it even just a little bit more? Or does it come from watching streams (which I do) and playing as much as I can?
I feel very knowledgeable about the game I watch streams, LCS, and play often. I don't know what you are really trying to ask like you can be knowledgeable and not be able to apply it to your own play if you mean something like that.
I like to think i have a decent understanding of the game at least for the time iv been playing anyway. The way i learned to understand it was by obviously playing more but as you said watch higher elo players stream, most preferably someone who will explain the game and what they are doing. Something iv noticed as a jungler who mainly plays only jungle is by playing this position you tend to look all over the map and are aware of more things happening than lets say if you were bot paying adc. Thats just my two cents on the mater though.
League is a lot about time. If someone is "better" then you are it is probably just because they have played longer (or made better use of their time). are you trying to learn or are you just playing half-heartily? When you die try to think of why you died, same for when you lose the game and even why you won a game as well. Learn at least one champion in each role and practice practice practice. Not many people can get to high elo jumping from Xerath mid to Nami support to Lee sin jungle, etc.
I have played for 3 years and was stuck in Silver forever. This season I went from Silver 1 to Plat 5 in less then 100 ranked games. The difference was I really started to think more about what I was doing, but even more importantly how to play with my team. Every game even if you're 15-1 you make mistakes and its all about minimizing your mistakes.
Take the losses with a grain of salt and focus on improving. GL
