"In comparison to Themeforest, the WordPress.org directory is lacking. Themeforest is inviting to users because it provides the backend tools for theme authors to market their themes. They can ...."

This is not just an issue in the theme directory. The tools available at wordpress.org to plugin developers and plugin support teams have also seen only the most minor evolution in the last decade. The result is that both developers and users spend a lot more time working to deal with the tools' limitations.