Defense tried to downplay prosecution's intent argument. Seeing how literally everyone turned on him for a reduced sentence plea, it went horrible for the guy. Like a fucking sub full of billionaires, the goddamn thing went completely tits up on him at alarming rates faster than Chuck Yeager could have wildly imagined. Shit show greatly downplays the absolute cluster that was that trial's defense. I have seen more organized effort from a President in bronzer, screen passing paper towels to hurricane victims than what was being reported as the argument defense was putting up.
Then, for who knows what reason, the guy decided to testify in his own trial. I'm guessing that at some point they were like "Fuck it, can't get anymore guilty as fuck, let's go for the Hail Mary!" Because no defense lawyer would ever advise that, but motions hands in a general direction as if presenting something. The jury got a real rare treat of watching a Federal Prosecutor skillfully remove the vital organs of a man with his own words.
Like I would quip that maybe he [Sam Bankman-Fried] learned something from that mistake, but the dexterity by which prosecution so smoothly diced Bankman-Fried into chum in front of the Judge, Jury, and the Almighty, I highly doubt the signals for "HOLY FUCKING SHIT WHAT HAVE I DONE!! ABORT ABORT!!" ever made it to the receptors in that brain of Bankman-Fried's.
So I honestly think at some point the strategy went from "cast doubt on the intent" to something along the lines of "Just don't piss your pants in front of everyone! Well just catch it back on the sentencing!! OKAY?!"