SBMM is still in the game, and Bungie never said it was going to be taken out, they just adjusted the matchmaking. There still is a noticeable difference in my opponents skill level if i play solo compared to partying up with friends who are below average, or partying up with friends who are better than me. There probably is a lack of players in the crucible due to the Dawning that focuses on strikes and SRL, and on top of that you get skill based matchmaking to limit the player pool even further. Less players to match with means that you will have worse chances to find a lobby that is filled with players from your region.