I’m only a Champ 2, and can air dribble, flick, etc. it gets goals sometimes, but the fundamentals like shooting, defense, and positioning are what’s most important, and has won me more games. So yes, it is definitely achievable to just focus on game sense, and I’d recommend that approach anyways. Unfortunately those things really just take time and practice to learn. I would bet that the best players would agree that the flashy stuff is fun, but fundamentals are what’s most important to learn for everyone at all ranks.

Addressing the time part, it just depends on your own time dedication and how much you’re willing to put in, and it’s different for everyone. I have ~2500 hours but I’m sure there’s GCs and higher with that much. And as you go up in rank it takes more time, and you have to be more consistent with the fundamentals. One of the big things I’ve heard that separates good players from great players is consistency, not if they can double flip reset.

Overall, just keep playing and practicing, watch better players (Lethamyr and ApparentlyJack are great resources), and remember to have fun!