I'm not really a competitive player, but I don't necessarily think that Brawl's lack of combos makes it worse game. It depends on how someone sees combos. If you see them as the kind seen in typical Fighters, such as Street Fighter or Blazblu, then no, Brawl doesn't have combos. But to me, Brawl wasn't meant to be treated like a fighter. It was meant to be a platformer fighting hybrid. It focuses less on button stringing and speed and more on tactical thinking. When I play Brawl, I see strategies as combos. While they may not be the same as combos in Melee, they're definitely there. Jumping and movement are now much bigger parts of combos.
Now, do these combos hurt the game? No, in fact, they help bring in new players. Rather then isolate those who are inexperienced, Brawl gives a chance for newbies to avoid combos and not get stuck unable to do anything while the opponent just pushes lots of buttons in rapid speeds.
For the competitive player, it also depends on play style.
Also, I feel like this tread has gravitated more towards Competitive Melee players versus Competitive Brawl Players. Competitive gaming isn't adapt to change. Most comp. players thrive on learning set strategies and constantly using them. When something new happens or a change is made, competitive players often get angry simply because they have to think differently or start from square one.
Take for example, competitive TF2, which usually bans all new weapons or items with each update. The competitive playstyle is very much like when TF2 first came out, even after 3 years of updates.
In the same way, competitive melee players have almost banned Brawl from their consideration because they can't do the same techniques (like wave dashing). Brawl will never be the same as Melee, it's different. But that doesn't mean it's a worse game. It really comes down to how you play and why. Whichever one you like, enjoy it and be kind the people who play the other one. There is no need to bash them beucause they have different tastes.