They don't count as much for a simple reason, if you need to make up points in February and March, and you can't do so, you're not a playoff caliber team in any case, so go for draft position. That is, if you can't win must win games to get into the playoffs, you're unlikely to win playoff games.
The first 20 games is your "shakeout" cruise, where you figure out what you got, and what you need.
The key is simply not to get buried before you get rolling.
A lot of teams start hot, then get exposed as the season goes along. It's a long season, the best teams tend to pick up steam as the year progresses.
It's how you finish the season that matters.