Is a quite accurate analysis, my impression was that this change would discourage low level players and not bots, well some lvl1 bots will need to adapt to this new enviroment but they'll do it without problems, meanwhile we have a lot of newcomers disgusted and ranting about the change everywhere, with good reasons.
Although I admit like you did, that the game needed a change in rankings to put things on their place, couldn't be allowed to have silver decks in Champion the solutions would have been very different.
I also agree on the bot issue some experienced players have pointed out this as well but many of them benefit from it so remain silent about this issue.