You are so wrong believing that MM's leave themselves exposed for any significant amount of time. They are just doing what they do to move the market in the direction that the retail investors want to take it while taking their profits along the way. It sucks, but that's the way it works.

There is no built up NSS position by the MM's. That's just nonsense.

The price is where it is because retail has been steadily relinquishing their positions.

Gee, I wonder why.