I'm not sure why "Heat pumps are great for climate control" went to "ducts are dead".

I live in Florida, we've used Heat Pumps for as long as I can remember. We also have central air handlers with blowers and ducts to distribute the conditioned air. Mini-splits can _also_ be ducted mini-splits. According to my HVAC geek friend, mini-splits are pretty terrible about humidity control (an important thing in Florida). For proper humidity control you'd ideally have a dedicated set of dehumidification ducts (powered by a central dehumidifier) as well. Mix in an ERV and you have the ability to build a fairly air-tight house with _controlled_ ventilation and very efficient conditioning of the air in the house.