Experience of a returning noob (Matchmaking)

Probably 80-90% of my play time was in S12, which was my first season, but then life got in the way and I only had the energy to play sporadically. I do watch some streamers so I've somewhat kept up with things but matchmaking still managed to surprise me... and it's actually not all bad.

So, I recently picked up this game again and holy hell has the matchmaking outside of Ranked improved. Here I am, reflexes like an old man, aim of a potato and positioning like roadkill. Don't know the maps, don't know the angles or choke points, don't know the zones. Even playing Mixtape late at night I've only been stomped by master level players a few times. In game modes outside of Ranked this used to be a regular thing, like two out of three matches would have high ranking players or obvious smurfs murdering me but apparently not anymore. I'll gladly take a poorly programmed bot over a Pred if it allows me to experience parts of the game other than dying. Playing Trios has also been a pleasant experience where people actually seem to want to play something other than death match and dropping hot 90% of the time isn't a thing anymore. Sometimes we get eliminated in our first fight, sometimes we win a few and reach top three, even got champion a few times. In short, well balanced and fun!

Yesterday I played ranked for the first time since S12. Those ten placement matches, are we really supposed to be put together with people that have Pred badges and kill counters from S1? Maybe they just got back from a long break or something? Game went all the way to a pretty even fight between three teams in the last zone. Pred dude was very friendly and IGLd us to second place, reminded me to use my ult and stuff. Thanks man, I really appreciate it. The rest though... In the first 15 or so games, dropping hot was more common than in trios and there were a lot more idiots running off on their own to solo an entire team and then getting the rest of us killed as we arrive late trying to save them. Not once did we survive with these Leeroy Jenkin types. Even when we miraculously managed the first team we got thirded every single time. This thing used to be pretty much a Trios exclusive so why is it more common in Ranked now? The toxicity level is also different. In Trios I haven't seen a single toxic message but in Ranked it seems to be pretty common, especially from the same people who go die alone. In other words, for the lower levels it seems like Trios is more like Ranked than Ranked is. I feel a slightly morbid curiosity about what will await me when or if I rank up.

TL;DR:

Everything else is pretty great for a noob but Ranked, WTF?