I think both your points are valid.

Positionals are a way to make melee DPS more engaging, dance around the boss and to rewards them with a bit of DPS.
Positionals are worthless and can be ignored. But at the same time we're a community that seeks to optimize Sanctuary Island.
When shifting from any other class to melee, positionals can be difficult to get the hang of it and be frustrating at first.
The rewards doesn't seem to be the problem, but the execution.

Wouldn't it be possible to keep what works as positionals and remove what feels frustrating for the melee beginner?