I don't like it because it won't protect you.
It's a lightsaber. It can cut through the handles of other lightsabers.
Luke Skywalker lost his hand from underhand swipe.
In no way, shape or form could a cross guard protect him from that kind of swing.
And the usual cinematography for sword fighting, it's metal against metal.
So when the blade runs down to meet the guard and they can practically kiss each other while taunting, a lightsaber meeting the guard will cut it like rock/paper/scissors.
Unless, that particular Sith/Jedi hijacked the materials from the EU to create a lightsaber-proof handle/guard.
Then, then that's okay.
Any skilled Jedi/Sith can easily avoid that guard and still chop the fucker's hand off.
Darth Maul's lightsaber handle got chopped in two and he was never able to join them together again to make a fancy fighting stick.
Anakin's lightsaber in Episode II got chopped in half by a HUGE FUCKING CUTTING BLADE in that Geonosian droid factory.
Dinky guards that are more exposed than the handle itself serves no purpose.
But, there has been some intelligible debate that JJA is using EU so it's highly plausible that that particular lightsaber is forged with the indestrucatble materials against other lightsabers.
In which case, I'm going to jack in theaters if they show it is made.
Just like in...
Game of Thrones: Two Swords
Sword makers, fighters, etc of our own world will applaud that.
If you apply our physics of our metals to it.
A lightsaber does not apply to our crude physics.
Therefor, the only logical reason to have such an exposed guard is that it is made of Lightsaber-resistant materials.