While the first part is accurate,
I disagree. It doesn’t have as much to do with skill. It’s a bigger window if you see someone hard casting, meaning that it’s going to reflect something if you just want to mong. It’s just flat out less effective, especially in BGs or when being focused. Even if it is easier to use.
Compare the functionality. 3 seconds of reflects means you can bounce multiple casts from multiple users, which means that you could use it when being focused by 3 casters simultaneously, reflecting, say, an Azerite Power, a Polymorph, and a Frost shock all at once provided that they hit you in the same 3 second window, making it more punishing and more defensive simultaneously.
And it gave you three seconds of immunity against direct cast spells and a minimum 3 seconds of 20% spell damage reduction.
As it is, you can be juked, even unintentionally so by reflecting a junk spell to strip the buff and then hit with a Chaos Bolt. Let’s say someone cast a Frost Shock, you’d reflect that and then get hit by a Chaos Bolt. Or get hit by a lightning bolt and eat a hammer. Even if you’re watching hard casts and time it beautifully.
And that isn’t necessarily a matter of skill because instant casts exist.
Oh, and you lose the 20% spell damage reduction as soon as you get hit by a fireball, meaning you eat more from magic DoT ticks and AoE. From anybody, even that item level 85 mage standing in the corner of Alterac.
Conversely, with the new build you just reflect one skill on 5 seconds. You can usually hurrrr it in arena and still reflect something because it’s up for a long damn time.
Arguably, the only way in which it is better is in a raid or dungeon environment where you’re taking AoE magic damage and want to use it as a minor defensive CD.