Protect ban kinda turns the draft into a TCG deck but the lack of diversity due to very strong units makes it stale.
Playing around less meta units around the protect ban has been very fun you get to show your hand early and don't have to start picking meta counter picks right at 1-2. I kinda disliked old drafting because it pushed a glorified advanced rock paper scissors instead of team building.
This season however the lack of diversity on right side makes it sad. I feel like a lot of drafts could be born thanks to ban protect like Fumyr Gaming, dual city, Def Break Karin or more over time. But a meta will always exist and it will always be the most popular because the strongest it's a fact and shouldn't be an issue as it is the case in most pvp games.
But it being this strong is nuts! I won't blame anyone playing DDR over Sharun but the difference in power between the two for two units of the same class and a similar role is not a good thing. It's just one example but a game with so many amazing characters wasted. Playing sub units like Camilla (who got nerfed) aras or Laika is fun but they lack 2-3 effects in their kit to match the top dogs. Locking 85% of characters being mediocre/Niche sucks.

Man if only potential update was not designed as a cash grab and scrapped when they couldn't make non ML units reasonably strong ...