If we were to go 7-9, I'd rather get the 10th pick than a trip to the playoffs. Yeah, "anything can happen in the playoffs," blah, blah, blah, but simply by securing a berth, the team is dropped quite a few slots in the draft, and they are going to be one-and-done anyway.
No, a 7-9 run with a playoff appearance is not a successful season. It just sets the team back another year or two.