Well, people post those 2 things because
A) Predictable projectiles can be useless unless they're just THAT good.
B) Laggy techniques = very predictable and punishable. Punishable means death.
And not placing well in tournaments means the following:
There are 3 things to consider about the character. The first is how the character looks on paper. Look at the facts. How does the character do in concept? What about a character seems good? For example, Sonic's speed, quick aerials, awesome recovery. Second, how the character plays in usage. Can these things on paper transfer well to in game performance? What about AT's, or things you can't see until you play, such as priority or such. The third, and most important is match-ups and tournament results. Does the character play well in tournaments, where the best players play? Does he have the ability to compete with the likes of Snake, MK, G&W, and such? Can he win where it counts? And match-ups are self-explanatory, because a character may seem good, but if he can't beat anyone, it doesn't matter.